Grantees

Second Harvest Food Bank’s mission is for Santa Cruz County to be a community working together to end hunger through healthy food, education and leadership.

The mission of Second Harvest Heartland is to end hunger together. Our goal is to fuel the region’s hunger relief network, because no one should go hungry in our food-rich community.

Seed Savers Exchange’s mission is to conserve and promote America’s culturally diverse but endangered garden and food crop heritage for current and future generations by collecting, growing, and sharing heirloom seeds and plants. Requests for seeds are flowing in via multiple channels, and we are working to keep our employees safe while meeting the sharply increased demand for seeds—symbols of security, hope, and resilience—in these uncertain times. Enhancing access to open-pollinated seeds directly impacts access to fresh, healthy food. Whether it’s free seeds being sent to a community garden growing for their neighborhood, or to a gardener whose land was destroyed by a natural disaster so they can start anew, ancestral seeds returned to their Indigenous communities, or a connection made on the Exchange through which an experienced gardener shares seeds and how to grow them with someone new to gardening, SSE’s work holds great value, particularly now. The relevance of growing our own food, saving seeds, and sharing them with others will be truly profound and critical in the days ahead. SSE is not only doing this vital work, we are here to encourage and educate others to do it as well.

Sierra Harvest’s mission is transforming lives and strengthening community through fresh, local, seasonal food.

We are a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to growing food to nourish people, community and the Earth; TO BUILD wellness and resiliency in Twin Cities neighborhoods; TO EMPOWER and engage marginalized groups and urban agriculture farms; TO PROVIDE education, job training and advocacy for food system change. We don't just give a fish or teach to fish/grow food-we empower anyone to learn how to fish in any circumstance, how to make or fix the fishing pole and how to teach others by spreading wealth.

Soil Born Farms’ mission is to create an urban agriculture and education project that empowers people to participate in a local food system that encourages healthy living, nurtures the environment and grows a sustainable community. Our 55-acre organic farm is a regional center for education about food, health and the environment. Soil Born Farms’ work has elevated awareness of urban food production as a means for improving individual health, neighborhood cohesion and environmental stewardship. Since 2004 our non-profit has run interconnected programs toward the creation of a sustainable urban food system. These include: the on-farm youth education programs outlined in this proposal; a school garden initiative that integrates garden learning into school campuses; a gleaning program that harvests thousands of pounds of produce for people in need; training programs for urban farmers and home gardeners; and a cooking education program that teaches people to prepare fresh, healthy meals. Organic farming is at the heart of everything we do – our produce is distributed through food pantries and sold through our Farm Stand and CSA shares. 20,000 visitors per year experience our market farm, orchard, farm stand, youth garden, learning kitchen, creek habitat, and outdoor classroom. Our land is more than just a farm - it is a refuge of open space, a culture of healthy living, a learning ground for land stewardship, and a place where people find connection to each other.

Southside Community Land Trust provides historically underserved residents of Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls with land, education, technical training, and environmentally sustainable resources so they can build community assets to create an equitable food system supporting all Rhode Islanders. Since 1981, SCLT programs have enabled people to grow healthy, affordable and culturally appealing food in community gardens, urban and rural farms in six towns and cities.

SPROUT supports small-scale and sustainable farmers in Louisiana with technical and social support to build a stronger community of growers and help all New Orleanians be part of a community food system. We work for community control of food, recognizing that food sovereignty requires everyone is given access to locally produced, culturally relevant food. Our work addresses food access problems at their root by giving New Orleanians a stake in their own food, from production to composting.

SEI’s Climate Corps Education Outside (CCEO) program trains educators to plant the seeds of science and ecoliteracy to grow environmental leaders. We envision a world where all students have equitable access to food, nutrition, and ecoliteracy education. SEI, the administer of the CCEO program, is a nonprofit that builds leaders to drive sustainability solutions, partnering with schools and communities for 20+ years to develop elementary school to early career sustainability pathways.

Sustainable Connections creates thriving communities through innovative ideas, collaboration, and action. We work with a diverse network of local stakeholders, including community members, government and non-profit allies, and business supporters, to facilitate a variety of sustainability and social equity initiatives that improve the quality of life for all in Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan, and Island County, with a focus on the long-term health of our environment.