(Hall, NY): SEEDWAY announced today it has donated $5000 in vegetable seeds to be used in distributing seed to third world countries to mitigate malnutrition in those regions and has secured financial support from The GROWMARK Foundation to facilitate the distribution of the seed to Ethiopia, Liberia, and Madagascar. Working with partner charity SEED PROGRAMS INTERNATIONAL (SPI), SEEDWAY vegetable seeds will be distributed to needy families in locations throughout Africa where a majority of the population survives on less than $2.00 a day. “Millions die each year from hunger-related causes, and in these settings, top-quality vegetable such as SEEDWAY can provide is rare or unavailable,” says Peter Marks, President/CEO of SPI. “Because of the partnership between SEEDWAY and The GROWMARK Foundation on this project, thousands of families will be able to work hard to transform these seeds into much-needed harvests of vegetable-based nutrition.” While we in the United States may think of gardening as a hobby, Marks explains, in developing countries, it can be truly life-saving. “Excess harvests are sold to afford to keep the children in school, buy medicines, and meet other basic needs.” Countries to receive vegetable seed through this program include: Ethiopia, where the population consists of 5% orphans and better food access can prevent the orphaning of more children in the future. Liberia, which is working hard to rebuild the self-sufficiency of the population after recently celebrating 40 days free of new Ebola cases. Madagascar, where more than 80% of the population lives on less than $2.00 a day. SPI program partnerships also ensure that recipients of donated seed understand nutrition, gardening methods, postharvest storage, and other elements of using these seeds effectively. In some cases, seed recipients learn to save seed for the next season’s planting, eliminating the need for ongoing aid. Seed Programs International is a North Carolina, United States-based 501(c)3 organization. Established in 1999, founded by former Asgrow Seed Company executive John Batcha, SPI’s mission is to provide good quality seeds, expertise, and training materials to humanitarian organizations working around the world to alleviate hunger and poverty. In its history, SPI has distributed more than 14 million packets of seed to 75 countries. To learn more about Seed Programs International, visit their website at www.seedprograms.org. Headquartered in Hall, NY, SEEDWAY, LLC maintains locations in Trumansburg and Mecklenburg, NY, Shoreham, VT, Mifflinburg, Emmaus and Elizabethtown in PA, Pelham, GA and Lakeland, FL. A full-line seed company, marketing farm and turf seed in fourteen Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and vegetable seed from the US Rocky Mountains to the east coast and in the southern provinces of Canada, SEEDWAY, LLC is a subsidiary of GROWMARK, Inc., Bloomington, IL. The GROWMARK Foundation is the charitable arm of GROWMARK and supports 501(c)3 organizations that enhance the objectives of the GROWMARK System in the areas of agriculture, education, leader development, cooperatives, and priority community needs. GROWMARK is a cooperative with annual sales of $10.4 billion (FY 2014 data) providing agronomy, energy, facility planning, and logistics products and services, as well as grain marketing and risk management services in more than 40 states and Ontario, Canada. GROWMARK owns the FS trademark, which is used by affiliated member cooperatives.
More information is available at www.growmark.com.