Sow the Seeds Fund – Connecting the public with farmers

Begun in 2006, the Sow the Seeds initiative fosters sustainable food systems in the Upper Midwest.  Sow the Seeds was initiated by The Wedge Community Co-op and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy in Minneapolis to educate and engage members of the public while supporting local, sustainable food production.

 In August 2007, massive “once-in-500-year” storms hit southeast Minnesota, southwest Wisconsin and northeast Iowa.  Some areas received over 20 inches of rain in a three-day period.  Soil washed away by the truckload. Livestock drowned. Hay was uncut due to wet field conditions. Barns, fences, and farming equipment were ruined.  Pastures and fields were filled with rocks and debris.  

These floods were a major disaster for many farmers in the region. In fact, for many producers the devastation threatened to bring an end to their farming careers. Especially hit hard were organic and sustainable farmers who raise crops and livestock products for specialty markets.

 In response, the Wedge and IATP quickly launched a special "Sow the Seeds" flood relief effort.  Within just a few weeks of the storm, Sow the Seeds was able to mobilize a grassroots funding effort.  Dozens of retail food co-ops, restaurants, churches and nonprofit organizations collected donations from hundreds of donors. Foundations, businesses and business associations took notice and generously contributed to the flood relief effort as well. 

A committee of agricultural and community leaders was formed to reach out to affected farmers and review producer applications for financial aid. In just five months, over $390,000 was raised and distributed to area farmers who applied for support.  

The timely aid from Sow the Seeds allowed farmers to buy hay to feed their livestock through the winter and to repair fences in their pastures.  Others used the support to repay loans and outstanding bills, clear fields of debris or replaced damaged equipment.  The 31 farmers who received financial assistance represent a broad spectrum of people who grow and process food for consumers' kitchens: vegetable and fruit growers; organic dairy and beef farms; a goat cheese maker and an ice cream producer; and growers of hazelnuts, turkeys and chickens. 

But more valuable than any amount of financial assistance was the knowledge that the community cared.  As one farmer put it: "When you are devastated by a natural disaster like this flood, you feel alone and paralyzed to help yourself out of the mess Mother Nature delivered; the people that gave to the Sow the Seeds Fund helped my psyche out more than anything... they gave me the hope that there were better days ahead. They really cared!"  

With the 2007 flood relief effort now concluded, Sow the Seeds will continue to support local sustainable food systems in the Upper Midwest. In 2008, Sow the Seeds will support season extension strategies that enable fruit and vegetables to be grown in our Northern climate for a longer portion of the year.  Season extension can help expand our area’s supply of fresh, locally grown produce while offering new opportunities to interested farmers.   You can learn more about Sow the Seeds at www.sowtheseedsfund.org or by calling JoAnne Berkenkamp, IATP’s Program Director for Local Foods, at 612 / 870-3410.

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