Seed Savers Exchange

Many people may not be able to say whether or not they've eaten genetically modified food, but chances are they have since 70% of the food available in the U.S. contains genetically modifed ingredients like corn or soy.  Seed Savers Exchange works toward preservation of food integrity:

Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. Since 1975, our members have been passing on our garden heritage by collecting and distributing thousands of samples of rare garden seeds to other gardeners.

Gardeners and food purists rely on Seed Savers Exchange for untreated, non-GMO (genetically modified organism) varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs.  From arugula to zucchini, growers have more than 13,000 types of seeds from which to choose.

Square Foot Gardening to End Hunger

Square Foot Gardening is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) entity with simple solutions to food insecurity.  Its ultimate goal is to end world hunger by reaching out to families and teaching them how to grow their own healthy food.    Families can improve their nutrition intake and benefit from quality time together centered around gardening.  The Square Foot Gardening plan uses less resources and requires very little work yet yields a harvest equal to a single row garden 5x its size.

The organization also teaches educational classes and support local community gardens and NGO projects overseas.  The nonprofit teaches food literacy in schools, donates gardens to many organizations, and helps promote healthy lifestyles.

The Dinner Garden: Seeds of Empowerment

Gardening began as a hobby for Holly Hirshberg, an activity to do with her children, but in 2008 Hirshberg's husband lost his job.  This put her in problem-solving mode.  Her home garden significantly alleviated the burden of food costs.  Why not grow the idea?  She founded The Dinner Garden which provides enough seeds to feed a family of four.  Tens of thousands of families across the U.S. have benefited already.  The Dinner Garden has also provided seeds for more than 100 community gardens.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that in 2009, almost 15% of American households were hungry or "food insecure" during some point that year. "Food insecure" means all household members did not always have access to enough food for an active, healthy life.

"When you're having trouble or struggling, you have so many things to worry about. How are you going to pay your mortgage? How are you going to afford your medicine ... your kids? If you know you have food, you don't have to worry."  -Hirshberg to CNN

The Dinner Garden partners with food banks and businesses across the country including Catholic Charities, World Food Garden, Seeds for Food, the Wyoming Food Bank, the San Antonio Food Bank, The Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Club, The Peterson Garden Project, The San Antonio Community Gardeners, and The Salvation Army.

Holly Hirshberg and her nonprofit have been featured on CNN Heroes.