FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) — After a six-month process, the Marion County Master Gardeners and the Marion County Public Library have teamed up to open “The Seed Vault.”

The Seed Vault is essentially a seed library where individuals are invited to take and donate any seeds available year-round.

The Marion County Master Gardeners developed the ideas after an internal discussion of the importance of saving seeds for biodiversity and plant strength. The Marion County Public Library had previously surveyed for services that the local community would like to see within the area, and to its surprise, a seed library was at the top of the list.

On Saturday, the Marion County Master Gardeners met at the Marion County Public Library from 10 am to 2 pm to welcome the public and properly introduce The Seed Vault. Other organizations were invited to provide demonstrations for the event as well.

The Marion County Beekeeper’s Association was in attendance with a live hive on display, alongside honey taste testing. The Monongahela Conservation District had a table set up where they helped educate attendees and sell affordable gardening materials. Marion County Parks and Recreation spoke with individuals about opportunities and availability at Fairmont’s community garden as well.

Seeds from commercial vendors are welcomed and if you have any seeds that may have lost their original packaging, you are still able to donate after filling out a seed intake form. The Marion County Public Library has plenty of books on gardening and seed saving to help beginners too.

The Marion County Master Gardeners will be having their annual Heirloom Plant Sale on May 6 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Prickett’s Fort Visitors Center. All plants being sold at the event have been grown from seed by the Master Gardeners themselves. Plants will be sold at affordable prices to make gardening more accessible to everyone.