I have always kept a lot of seeds on hand. One reason is because I have a large immediate family. Nine, now really 11, people eat a lot. We love giving away produce to external family and friends. I also can, dehydrate, and freeze garden produce. Extra seeds are needed for sharing or trading too.
I'd rather have seeds I have to throw out, which is very, very rare, than to not have seeds that can allow me to feed my family and friends. Keeping plenty of seeds on hand is also another type of insurance against difficult times.
I save seeds from plants I grow and food we eat. I also buy them online, in small packets in the stores, and in feed and seed stores in bulk. A pound of seeds is really inexpensive for what you get. When I buy a lot of seeds, the feed and seed stores always give me extra ounces for free which is really nice! For example, if I buy 6 ounces of seeds and only an ounce or two is left in the bin, they very often throw those in for free. I love it!
My seed storage is based on a three year system. I garden year around, so I keep one year's worth of seeds in use. They are stored in an old sewing case. One set goes in a recycled canister with a tight fitting screw on lid under our stairs. I keep the third set of seeds in a second canister in our freezer and have it marked to not be removed.
I'd prefer to keep both in the freezer, but it won't work in my home. Even with multiple appliances, space is at a premium. One is the best I can reasonably expect the family to jockey around when they hunt for an item. I know their limits, so one goes under the stairs where it is cool and dark.
Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy;
break up your fallow ground:
for it is time to seek the LORD,
till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
break up your fallow ground:
for it is time to seek the LORD,
till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Hosea 10:12
