“It has been a whirlwind since the pandemic hit. Those in need of food assistance have skyrocketed, and we have been doing our best to make sure their needs are being met,” said Ariel Steinman, operations director of Seeds Feeds.
With a focus in urban agriculture, Seeds Feeds has been an integral part in fighting the hunger crisis seen in its St. Lois Park community. They focus on building wellness and resilience in the Twin Cities neighborhoods, empowering and engaging marginalized groups and urban agriculture farmers, and providing education, job training and advocacy for food system change.
Seeds Feeds has a variety of vegetation areas that are utilized for growing their produce.
“We are growing outdoors and indoors to provide people in our communities with food all year long. It really stemmed from a vision of wanting to help people in our own backyard,” Steinman said.
Seeds Feeds is a non-profit that focuses on ending food insecurity. (Contributed photo)
One key element in Seeds Feeds’ offense against hunger is providing information and education to those in surrounding communities on how to raise their own food. Seeds Feeds helps individuals grow their knowledge, with the goal that those who receive the education can grow their own garden or micro garden in the urban landscape. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, much of this learning has had to shift online. These workshops include a garden club series, cooking classes and nutrition classes.
“We are passionate about urban agriculture and food advocacy. We also love helping people through education,” Steinman said.
In addition to helping communities, Seeds Feeds is also committed to taking care of the soil it uses to grow its produce.
“We are dedicated to growing food to nurse people, community and the Earth. A lot of our organizational elements are based on permaculture. So, making sure that we are doing well for others and the Earth, while thinking about the future,” Steinman said.
During the pandemic, Seeds Feeds is offering more education, nutritional resources and food than ever before.
“By the middle of the summer season we were making 30 community supported agriculture bags every week and still providing for the farm stand, which is something that we had never done before,” Steinman said.
If you would like to volunteer, donate or learn more about Seeds Feeds, visit https://seedsfeeds.org.