For the Seed Project Foundation, strengthening a community starts with something simple: investing in the people, land and resources already there.
The organization’s roots trace back to 2014, when Rick Wells and Chef Andrea Shackelford opened Harvest in downtown McKinney with a commitment to locally sourced food and supporting area farmers and producers. As Rick became more connected to the local agricultural community, he gained a deeper understanding of the challenges facing farmers and the importance of investing locally.
In 2015, that philosophy helped lead to the establishment of the Harvest Seed Project Foundation, built around agriculture, education and sustainability.
“The Seed Project Foundation grew out of a belief that businesses can do more than simply operate within a community. They can invest in making that community stronger,” says Rick Wells, co-founder of the Foundation and co-owner of The Wells Group McKinney.
Early efforts provided seed money to local organizations, schools and projects aligned with the Foundation’s three pillars. Today, that includes education, local agriculture and McKinney Roots, a nonprofit donation farm.
McKinney Roots began with three women growing food in their backyards with the goal of providing fresh produce to neighbors in need. In 2018, the effort moved to a five-acre former baseball field in west McKinney, giving the farm room to grow. McKinney Roots joined the Harvest Seed Project Foundation in 2020. Since then, the Foundation has invested in the farm, added full-time farmers and expanded production while staying true to its original purpose: growing fresh food to give away.
“McKinney Roots has become one of the clearest expressions of our mission,” says Rick. “It brings agriculture, sustainability, education, volunteerism and food access together in one place.”
Everything grown at the farm is donated through nonprofit partners serving people experiencing food insecurity throughout Collin County. In 2025 alone, McKinney Roots donated approximately 15 tons of fresh produce, including 15,000 heads of lettuce, along with 8,000 dozen eggs.
The focus on fresh food is intentional. While shelf-stable items remain essential for food pantries, fresh vegetables, fruit and eggs can be more difficult and costly to consistently provide.
“Families should not have to choose between having enough to eat and having access to nutritious food,” says Rick. “There is something especially meaningful about knowing food can be harvested locally and quickly make its way to a neighbor’s table.”
Volunteers are essential to making that possible. More than 700 volunteers support the farm, while partnerships with local nonprofits help move everything grown at McKinney Roots into the community.
The farm also provides hands-on agricultural education. Since 2022, McKinney Roots has partnered with McKinney ISD to help students understand how food grows and the connection between agriculture, nutrition and healthy communities.
Now, McKinney Roots is preparing for its next chapter, expanding from five acres to 45 acres at Gray Branch Parkland. The new property creates an opportunity not only to grow and donate more food, but to expand agricultural education and create a place where the community can experience the relationship between food and the land firsthand.
For Rick, the mission goes beyond pounds harvested or eggs collected.
“We want people to understand that the Seed Project Foundation is not simply about growing food. It is about growing connection,” he shares. “Those individual actions may seem small, but together they create a much larger system of impact.”
Get Involved
Become part of the Harvest Seed Project Foundation’s work by volunteering at McKinney Roots, organizing a service day with your business, school, church or family, attending a Foundation event or making a donation. Every helping hand supports a healthier, stronger community. To learn more, volunteer or donate, visit spftx.org.