Food Security United States Project #56128

Powering Community Gardens Across the US

by Seed Programs International

Project Report | May 3, 2024
Sprouting Together: Growing Seed Libraries

By Georgia W Beasley | Project Leader

Lets grow together!

Last year we launched our first Seed Library program, with Henderson County Public Health Department and one of their local library branches. Since then, that program has expanded to two more library branches in the county, and suddenly we are launching seed libraries in other states and counties in the US. Our vision of creating fresh food access for everyone is at the heart of our initiative to grow seed libraries across the country, in partnership with public health departments, local libraries, and even universities. In 2024, we have four seed library programs in 3 states, and we are looking forward to growing this just like a watermelon vine.Read on to learn more!

Seed Libraries: More Than Just Borrowing Seeds

Our programs go beyond simply providing access to seeds. We partner with public spaces like libraries and community centers to transform them into vibrant hubs for food education and access. Here's how seed libraries are making a difference:

Empowering New Gardeners: Seed libraries offer a low-barrier entry point for individuals and families to try their hand at home gardening. With a diverse selection of seeds, including beginner-friendly varieties, we help people cultivate their own fresh produce, regardless of prior experience.
Increasing Food Equity: The high cost of fresh produce can create food deserts, areas where healthy food options are scarce or expensive. Seed libraries help bridge this gap by providing access to affordable seeds, empowering communities to grow their own nutritious food.
Strengthening Community Bonds: Shared gardens fostered by seed libraries create opportunities for collaboration and social interaction. Workshops, seed swaps, and gardening events cultivate a sense of community and shared purpose, connecting people through a love of growing food.

Partnerships for Impact:

Our collaborations with public health departments, libraries, and universities leverage existing infrastructure and expertise to maximize impact. Here's what makes our partnerships unique:

Public Health Departments: We work with health departments to promote healthy eating as a way to prevent chronic diseases. Seed libraries complement existing health initiatives by encouraging physical activity and access to fresh produce.
Local Libraries: Libraries are ideal locations for seed libraries, offering readily accessible spaces and a natural connection to knowledge sharing. Librarians can guide participants to educational resources on gardening and healthy eating.
Universities: University extension programs and agricultural expertise can be invaluable resources for seed libraries. Students can volunteer their time and knowledge, while universities benefit from community engagement.

Utilizing Existing Spaces:

By utilizing existing public spaces, seed libraries require minimal infrastructure investment, making them a sustainable and scalable solution. This allows us to reach more communities and empower individuals to cultivate a brighter future, one seed at a time.

It is thanks to supporters like you that our seed library programs are possible. Please continue donating to this cause, and better yet, reach out if you want to launch a seed library in your community!

Seed library

Another seed library!

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Jan 5, 2024
Celebrating 2023 as we sow seeds for 2024

By Georgia Beasley | Project Leader

Community garden

At SPI, we believe that everyone deserves access to healthy, nutritious food. In the US, we focus on community and school gardens as a way to provide nutrition education and build food justice for those that have limited or no access to fresh produce. We do this to make a small dent to the fact that 44 million people in America suffer from hunger.

We work with community partners to distribute high-quality vegetable seed and other garden resources to make these gardens a possibility. From free seed libraries in partnership with Public Libraries and Departments of Health, national and local nonprofits, school districts and more, we lower the logistic burden of getting gardens off the ground.

Right now, as 2024 begins, we are reflecting on our impact as an organization this past year. In 2023, we distributed 186,399 seed packets to organizations in the US–enough seed to grow 616 tons of food, or 6,788,651 vegetable servings. That’s a whole lot of fresh food directly into the hands of those that need it most: low-income families throughout America.

One of our longest US partners is the Society of St. Andrews, a national organization dedicated to bringing people together to harvest and share healthy food, reduce food waste, and building caring communities. With Society of St. Andrews, we worked with over 47 recipient organizations in 32 cities across 12 states. Thanks to them, seeds are being disbursed that will grow to impact thousands of hungry Americans. These seeds grew gardens in schools, churches, low-income and section 8 housing communities, homeless shelters, community centers and more.

Your support makes this work a reality. While we focus many of our efforts abroad with communities in need, we also know that there is great need in our own backyard, and we are grateful for your support in changing that reality.

Community members planting gardens

Urban farming in action

Flourishing gardens, thanks to you!

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Sep 8, 2023
Building Community with Urban Gardens in NYC

By Robyn Love | Project Leader

Hello Gardeners!

We have been busy this year supporting gardening programs all over the US, including AL, AZ, CA, CT, CO, FL, IL, IN, KY, ME, MS, NC, NY, OH, PA, TN, and VA! The programs are diverse and include educational programs, school gardens, community gardens, and gardens to grow food for food banks or free food markets.

One of the programs we are supporting this year is in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, NY with Paradise Community Garden. This garden grows a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables for community members, runs educational programs and workshops, and provides a variety of community building activities and events for the neighborhood. In June, they held an event to teach 400 community members about growing home gardens and composting. They provided community members with pots, seeds, compost, worms and training to ensure they were set to create their own home gardens! The event was a great success and Seed Programs International was happy to be involved and provide the seeds for the event. We are looking forward to supporting additional programs with them this fall.

Community gardens provide a valuable service to neighborhoods across the country. They provide opportunities for gardeners to work together, meet their neighbors, and build relationships in their community. In urban settings, gardens can provide green spaces that breakup the abundance of pavement and create a connection to nature. The physical activity and group aspects of community gardens have been shown to have a positive impact on participants' mental and physical health. In addition, training and workshop events provide participants with the tools needed to create their own gardens with nutritious fruits and vegetables at home.

We look forward to growing our domestic partnerships and continuing to support community initiatives across the US.

Happy Gardening!

Robyn

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