It may be cold and icy outside, but the St. Joseph Public Library is thinking about spring.

The Downtown Library is once again offering a Seed Library.

Downtown Branch Manager Dee Zvolanek said they have offered the Seed Library for a few years now. The library receives donations of seeds from seed companies and local residents.

Zvolanek said people can pick up to 10 different packets of seed out of the about 10 varieties available.

“Flowers, vegetables, herbs… What we have is a lot of different variety of seeds on hand that people can just come and pick up,” Zvolanek said.

The library has seeds for beans, broccoli, carrots, corn, cucumbers, lettuce, melons, peas, squash and more.

Zvolanek said the Seed Library has been fairly popular over the past few years.

“I think maybe… one reason it’s popular is more and more people are growing their own food. We have much more farm to table, that kind of outlook about our food, so this is one way you can pick up your seed,” Zvolanek said. “There’s a lot of low income around here and if they can get something to help stretch their dollars, then they can come down and pick up things for free and they can hopefully share with their neighbors what they grow.”

Anyone can pick up seeds or bring in seeds to donate during regular open hours at the front desk at the Downtown Library at 927 Felix Street in St. Joseph.

For more information, contact the library at (816) 232-7729.