Pennsylvania Seed Library Smacked Down By State

The Cumberland County Library System thought it had a neat idea. With the local Penn State Agricultural Extension System and the Cumberland County Commission for Women, it created a seed-gardening program — aka a seed library — that allowed residents to “borrow” seeds in the spring and replace them with new ones harvested at season’s end.

It was launched on April 26, Earth Day, at the Joseph T. Simpson’ Public Library in Mechanicsburg as part of the borough’s Earth Day Festival.

Sixty signed up.

Oh pity them for they didn’t realize they were part of a nefarious plot to violate  the Pennsylvania Seed Act of 2004 signed into law by then Gov. Ed Rendell.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture sent a high-ranking official and a bevy of lawyers to the library in July to shut the program down and make sure those running things got their minds right.

The Seed Act is about proper labeling in the sale of seeds, which the library was not doing. Apparently our state officials feared the seeds might be mislabeled on purpose hence allowing terrorists to spread poison ivy or some such thing.

Some cynics think the crackdown is because big agriculture doesn’t want competition no matter how small.

When is it going to dawn on the rest of you that really stupid and/or greedy people are governing our lives?

Hat tips Tom Flocco and Naomi Creason of the Sentinel of Cumberland County.

Pennsylvania Seed Library Smacked Down By State

 

Pennsylvania Seed Library Smacked Down By State

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