Last summer, gardeners In Duluth wanted to share their heirloom seeds, so they set up a spot in the public library where folks could drop off packets of home-grown seeds and others could pick them up. Unfortunately, Minnesota law regarding seeds is set up to keep an eye out for shenanigans by companies like Monsanto and Con-Agra. Peter Passi of the Duluth News Tribune notes that the state Department of Agriculture notified the library that the seed-sharing program was out of compliance. The library needs a seed-labeling permit, which costs $50 and requires the holder to include “seed lot numbers from each gardener sharing seed, documentation of any noxious weeds that might contaminate the seeds, plant variety, seed origin and the percent of seed that can be expected to germinate. An official germination test typically involves about 400 seeds,” Passi wrote. This is clearly beyond the reach of the sharers who drop off packets of 20 or 30 seeds.