Meet Pamela Holley, CCEL StoryTeller

We are beyond excited for you to meet Pamela, UMN student and CEL Volunteer Storyteller for Como Community Seed Library this fall Deepest of gratitude Pamela for choosing to share your passion around sustainability and growing experience! Watch for more stories from her over the coming weeks here and on our instagram feed!

Hello!

I’m excited to introduce myself as a new student volunteer at the Como Community Seed Library. My name is Pamela Holley, and my passion for gardening and seed-saving runs deep, rooted in my upbringing in a small town in Nebraska. Growing up in a family of six siblings, my parents ensured that each of us had a hand in the garden. From an early age, I learned the importance of harvesting and seed-saving, which instilled in me an understanding of where our food comes from and a deep appreciation for the bounty nature provides.

Living in a small town surrounded by industrial farms growing corn and alfalfa, I value the time spent nurturing our large home garden, where we grew vegetables like corn, cucumbers, and tomatoes. My first job at 14 was detasseling corn in the fields during the summer, an experience that emerged me into the world of agriculture and harvesting.

Now, as a student at the University of Minnesota studying Environmental Science with a minor in Sustainability Studies and Architecture, I’m passionate about applying these lessons to a larger scale. I hope to use my education and experiences to explore sustainable development, combining my love for nature, community, and green building practices to create solutions that benefit both people and the planet. 

At the Como Community Seed Library, I’m excited to share stories that highlight how seeds connect us to the land, our heritage, and each other. Whether it’s a cherished memory of planting with family or a new discovery in seed preservation, I hope these narratives inspire you to explore your own connections to seeds and sustainability.

Let’s grow together!