Planting seeds of hope and community

One of the deepest humiliations inflicted on anyone struggling to put food on the table is facing the hostile or kindly attitudes of those who are not. That’s one of the things that sets The Dinner Garden apart. You don’t have to prove to founder Holly Hirshberg that you’re destitute before you can request enough seeds to feed a family of four.

The Dinner Garden was just named one of the CNN Heroes: Everyday People Changing the World. Tough times compelled Hirshberg to launch the project in 2008, the year the U.S. economy nosedived and took her husband’s job with it. That summer, Hirshberg planted more than seeds. She planted hope, and now she and husband Sean work full time for the non-profit they created.

The non-profit grew out of Holly’s enthusiastic and giving nature. In the summer of 2008, her garden yielded bounty. She collected seeds and shared them. From that she launched a non-profit corporation that has gone from a Texas initiative to a national seed distributor that has reached 65,000 individuals, families and community gardeners. Thanks to The Dinner Garden, the cost of seeds is no longer a barrier for individuals and families counting every penny.

Holly says, “The Dinner Garden isn’t just about the seeds. It’s about giving people hope. It is about showing people another way to live. The Dinner Garden is creating communities where families spend time together in a productive way and children learn that they can create something beautiful and useful to their family.”

In her talk for TEDx SanAntonio, Holly demonstrated the can-do attitude that has made The Dinner Garden so successful that she and husband Sean work on it full time. The project is about improving people’s food security, but it is also about connecting people to their communities. Dinner Gardeners are asked to share any extra produce and to save seeds to give back to the project and to share with others.

Holly cites three helpful resources in her talk: World Food Garden, Ample Harvest and Life on the Balcony. If you are already a gardener, consider donating seeds to The Dinner Garden, and if you are sure your thumb is anything but green, prepare to let this project convince you otherwise.

Read more: gardening, real food, seed saving, victory gardens

Photo from The Dinner Garden

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Douglas L.

11:15AM PDT on Sep 12, 2011

I've used Seed Savers seeds from Decorah Iowa the last 2 seasons and am pleased with the results I've gotten!

send a green star

Melinda offline K.

4:07AM PDT on Aug 22, 2011

really awesome idea!!

Ana F.

6:38PM PDT on Jul 20, 2011

It's very inspirating!

Kamryn M.

5:49PM PDT on Jul 20, 2011

thanks

5:48PM PDT on Jul 20, 2011

Velmapearl H.

2:03PM PDT on Jul 20, 2011

Linda M.

12:49PM PDT on Jul 20, 2011

we need more like you:)

NotSilent S.

11:28AM PDT on Jul 20, 2011

Thanks for what you're doing!

I did go to the petition, and wanted to copy and paste the info from in about the address and all but it pops up as flash or something that you can't copy and paste, is there a way around that?

Thanks and Peace.

Linda T.

9:50AM PDT on Jul 20, 2011

The petition asks that you don't dry seeds on paper, but I do it all the time when we have a particularly good tomato. I mop up the leftover seeds from the plate, or cutting board, with a paper towel. I make sure that they are well separated and when they are dry, simply tear the paper with one or two seeds on each piece. The paper doesn't seem to stop the growth, and probably helps hold moisture.

Patricia A.

9:38AM PDT on Jul 20, 2011

She's an inspiration.