“When you take care of your community there is a ripple effect of positive results.” explained Rick Wells, local restaurateur and Founder of the Seed Project Foundation(SPF). The Foundation was established on the premise that funding sustainable ideas today will support ecological and social balance in the future.
Wells is a homegrown farm boy with a heart of gold. His dedication to serving his community has garnered him a vast amount of accolades. However, according to Wells, his “team is his biggest asset and the reason for our success”. Collaboration between local farmers, chefs, restaurants and community leaders was the catalyst for the Seed Project Foundation’s efforts. “How can we use capitalism to reach involved members of the agriculture and education communities to teach sustainability to those who do not have access to fresh food and resources?” Wells questioned. The answer was to create a social and cultural experience utilizing the strengths of those already within his network. His go-to for logistical data and farming reports was entrepreneur and farmer, Megan Neubauer, who has since become the Executive Director of the organization.
Together Wells and Neubauer, along with Harvest’s Executive Chef Andrea Shakelford and General Manager Toby Thomason, have taken the idea of collecting monetary support for local projects and outsourcing it to other nonprofits with fewer resources and developed it into a thriving grant program and multi-initiative foundation.
Their biggest initiative to date is SPF’s partnership with McKinney Roots. Established in 2016, McKinney Roots’ mission is to supply fresh produce to the food insecure by growing and distributing it to local nonprofits alleviating hunger with healthful, nutrient-dense food. The alignment between the two programs was undeniable. Wells knew he could partner with McKinney Roots Executive Director, Vicki Deerman and co-founder Carissa Bleeker to get the boots on the ground to help make the vision of McKinney Roots a reality if he were to take them under the Seed Project Foundation’s wing. And that is exactly what they did. “We put our money where our mouth is” Well stated. The first step was to bring on farmer Tucker Nickols to oversee the daily operations.
The Seed Project Foundation continues to branch out to include new exciting endeavours. One goal is to educate people on the process of growing food. They will host symposiums and potlucks to reach more members of the community and give a name to the “faceless farmers” who work hard to produce quality food. “We cannot focus on the obstacles in our way but what we actually can do to make a difference” Wells stated.
To volunteer or donate to The Seed Project Foundation visit spftx.org.