World Seed Fund -dwindling away



Here is a site that I like browsing and read how the World Seed fund is dwindling down and needs help becoming vital again. If people are looking for a good place to donate a bit of money I would recommend this one since it has very good aims and helps create a positive cycle by giving the seeds to plant and grow and teaching seed harvesting for the next season and preserving as many varieties as possible is a very good thing I think.



What made me think of it was thinking of how the woman in rural areas can help support themselves by growing different varieties of ones then are normal in their area and creating a whole line or organic/heirloom products for their areas. I was searching this wondering which ones I would grow if I could move to Attu and have a big greenhouse to grow my own so decided to pass this site on when I read this part:



http://www.seedalliance.org/index.php?page=World_Seed_Fund

Here is what they say on their page about the mission:
World Seed Fund
Thank you for your interest in World Seed Fund!



Due to a decrease in donated seed and limited staff to maintain inventory and complete applications, we have currently suspending the donation program. If you are interested in donating seed to the World Seed Fund and helping us renew the program, please contact us at info@seedalliance.org.
World Seed Fund has been supporting sustainability and self-sufficiency since 1985.



MISSION STATEMENT: The World Seed Fund program supports the charitable distribution of open-pollinated seed and seed saving information to maintain community needs for seed sovereignty and food security both nationally and internationally. We accomplish these goals through education, volunteered support from our community and the exchange of open-pollinated seed resources.



World Seed Fund distributes open-pollinated seeds to individuals, community groups, and organizations that need them most and who cannot afford to purchase them. In addition to seeds, we include educational information. These resources help many grow their own food and save their own seed.



Seeds can provide food, medicine, a source of income as well as a means to build pride, skills and community. Open-pollinated seeds can be grown to seed then replanted with the assurance of the same yields and the same crops, year after year. This is a contrast to hybrid seed which must be purchased every year because they will not grow true-to-type. Sending open-pollinated seeds and seed saving information contributes to the creation of a local seed source and the improvement of crop varieties that perform well in local environmental conditions (i.e. pests, climate, etc).



We share seeds with many people: school groups, prison gardens, development and reconciliation projects in foreign countries, community and urban garden-projects in the United States and Canada. From China to Cuba, Spain to Honduras, World Seed Fund provides communities with a gift that can last a lifetime.



World Seed Fund has helped turn vacant and derelict lots into beautiful, productive community gardens feeding and empowering many gardeners. Growing Gardens in Boulder County, Colorado is one such group who has received seed from us. They have established numerous community gardens and youth programs to address issues such as urban food security, as well as to create aesthetic horticulture in their county.



From a Children's Garden Program at John Adams Elementary School in San Diego, Charlene Goldman writes, "Your seed donations have been a great support. During the past months the students have been harvesting great amounts of lettuce for salads as well as bouquets of cilantro. We are starting to let our cilantro go to seed to collect for your Seed Saver Program".



With all seed donations, we provide the recipient with simple, clear seed saving instructions. We encourage them to save some seeds from their garden, perhaps trading or sharing with neighbors or creating their own seed exchange for the benefit of the local community. Some projects choose to make seed saving the purpose of their garden and have returned harvested seed to WSF for us to distribute to others.

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