2023 Impact Report
It all began in the spring of 2021, when Julia approached Joseph
about creating a video course based on his new book, Landrace
Gardening. That course spawned a community of adaptation-minded
gardeners, who swapped stories and seeds in an online forum and
met monthly over Zoom. Anna was smitten with Joseph’s vision
for ‘the ultimate seed share,’ and facilitated the mixing of home-
grown seeds from around the United States into genetically diverse
packets.
We wanted to do more. We needed to organize. Our small group
of founders crafted a shared mission & values, and we set out
to do three things: strengthen our existing community, grow our
membership, and distribute genetically diverse seed. In December
2022, we signed on with fiscal sponsor, Empowerment Works. By
January 2023, we had launched our website and seed program,
making courses, seeds, and an online community available for free.
This report offers an overview of how we spent the rest of that
first year. In the face of extreme weather and turbulent global
geopolitics, the need for diverse, locally adapted, community-grown
food crops is urgent. At a time when society is more fractured than
ever, our emphasis on community offers neighbors a common goal
of delicious, nutritious, resilient food. We hope you’ll join us.
Going to Seed is a project of Empowerment Works, a social change organization advancing a
whole system approach to a sustainable world, and 501c3 not-for-profit.
FROM THE FOUNDERS
Lowell
McCampbell
Masha
Zager
Debbie
Ang
Anna
Mieritz
Joseph
Lofthouse
Julia
Dakin
Through teaching ancestral selection methods, seed sharing,
and ongoing learning and experimentation, we help people grow
locally-adapted gardens that thrive without inputs.
We envision a world where everyone is empowered to save seeds
in order to grow food that heals the body, the soul, and the planet.
MISSION + VISION
Going to Seed is shifting agriculture towards
adaptation, community, and diversity.
VALUES
At Going to Seed, we:
• Celebrate interdependence and diversity
• Revere natural ecosystems
• Honor ancestral and indigenous wisdom and people
Once a common practice in backyards and farms, the selection
and saving of seeds has been overtaken by the commercialization
of agriculture. This centralization has led to a staggering 94%
reduction in genetic diversity in the last century. In selecting for
uniformity in appearance and production, seed producers have
inadvertently created crops prone to ‘inbreeding depression,’
and more susceptible to stresses such as disease and drought.
Growers apply more fertilizers, pesticides, and other forms of
crop protection. Even in certified organic systems, the reliance on
plastics and organic pesticides to produce a harvest remains high.
Our approach focuses on adapting plants to local conditions,
rather than changing conditions to support the plants. This is the
approach that was common in industrialized countries before
1900, and many Indigenous people around the world continue to
practice today. Going to Seed encourages gardeners and farmers
to allow different varieties of a crop to freely cross-pollinate,
saving and sharing seeds each year from the healthiest plants.
With each successive year, the plants become more adapted
to the local soil microbiology, pest challenges, and climate, a
distinct advantage over seeds grown in a different bioregion.
This mindset shift is at the heart of Adaptation Gardening. We
empower growers with the knowledge, seeds, and resources
to shift toward sustainable farming methods that rely on
adaptation rather than inputs. We advocate for genetic diversity.
We promote local seed, and educate about seed saving.
SHIFTING MINDSETS
Potatoes grown from seed are more able to
adapt than those grown from tubers.
OUR APPROACH FOCUSES
ON ADAPTING PLANTS
TO LOCAL CONDITIONS,
RATHER THAN CHANGING
CONDITIONS TO SUPPORT
THE PLANTS.
Adaptation requires seed saving, and seed saving works best in community.
FINANCIAL OVERVIEW
Going to Seed is an all-volunteer, international organization.
Our overhead is low, with most of our funds spent on technical
infrastructure such as software and website, printing, and postage.
We began fundraising in January 2023, under the fiscal sponsorship
of Empowerment Works. We raised nearly $50k in our first year,
about half from individual donors, and half from a grant from the Clif
Family Foundation. Those individual donations came from over 600
people, mostly accompanying course enrollments or seed orders.
This money has allowed us to make our courses, seeds, and
community free and accessible for everyone. We believe
that seeds and knowledge should not be commercialized.
We are grateful to be able to distribute both as gifts.
In 2024, a significant portion of funds will go toward farmer
support grants. Additional funding will support expansion
of local community projects, our national Seed Share
Program, and travel to conferences and events.
Total Income
$49,742
Total Expenses
$16,352
50.3% - Grants (Clif)
42.8% - Individual Donations
2.4% - Miscellaneous
4.5% - Course fees
11.3% - Community Seed Projects
67.6% - General (Seed Share Program, website, courses)
21.1% - Farmer Support
EDUCATION & OUTREACH
Public speaking
Talks at Baker Creek’s Tulip Festival & Heirloom festival, the Seed Library Summit, and Regenerative Skills
podcast reached hundreds of people. Numerous presentations and event tables at local seed swaps,
garden clubs, and farmers markets sparked conversations and invited new people to the movement.
Podcast
The podcast Going to Seed is produced twice a month, and distributed through Apple podcasts,
Spotify, and other podcast platforms. Guests this year included author of Restoration Agriculture Mark
Shepard, seed keeper and researcher Evan Sofro, and potato expert William Whitson of Cultivariable.
Julia Dakin said yes to every speaking request,
including this one in Victorville, CA
Joseph Lofthouse shares seeds and wisdom at the
Heirloom Festival
Joseph Lofthouse (left) & Holly Hansen (center), podcast co-hosts; Shane Simonsen, podcast producer & host (right)
Courses
Our flagship course, Adaptation Gardening, continues to reach new audiences in 31 countries, with over
900 enrollments to date.
Our monthly newsletter
Our monthly newsletter is growing in reach, with nearly 4000 subscribers around the world. The
newsletter discusses seasonal topics and promotes activities within our community.
In January, we launched a new course entitled Center of Origin: Traditional Farming Methods in Southern
Mexico. This course explores the rich heritage behind the milpa, and offers insight into the selection and
improvement of corn, squash, beans, tomatoes, chili peppers, and many other popular crops.
Our nationwide seed share gathers member-grown seeds, and packages them for distribution. These
genetically diverse packets enable growers to jump start local adaptation projects, without the expense
of purchasing multiple varieties.
SEED SHARE
How It Works
Seed Stewards source genetically
diverse seeds & package curated
seed mixes for each crop.
SPRING
Going to Seed offers free
packets of these seed mixes
to gardeners through an
online ordering system.
SPRING/SUMMER
Gardeners plant the mixes,
encourage cross-pollination, and
return a portion of the best seed.
FALL