Soulful Seeds founder outlines growth and needs as garden serves 1,200 households

Soulful Seeds co‑founder Dee Schaffer Whitten and program coordinator Kimberly Essey told Washoe Life, a Washoe County communications podcast, that the nonprofit garden has expanded its programs and now funnels produce to pantries, mobile markets and residents at the Our Place campus.

"We produced 8,913 pounds of food last year," Whitten said, and the organization served more than "3,000 individuals and 1,200 households," numbers she said were driven by a volunteer network and partnerships with local pantries.

The program emphasizes skills and connection as much as food distribution. Essey, who came to Soulful Seeds as an intern while pursuing a master of social work at the University of Nevada, Reno and was hired as program coordinator in September 2024, described cooking classes at Hope Home, garden‑wellness sessions and a weekly Soulful Seniors group that regularly draws 8–12 participants. "It's a chance for us not just to improve our cooking skills ... it's also a way to connect with people directly 1 on 1," Essey said.

Leaders described a mix of distribution methods: weekly volunteer harvests, mobile markets held in neighborhoods, and farmers‑market style stands for Our Place residents. Essey said Soulful Seeds held 16 mobile markets last year and planned 20 or more this season; the group also provides recipe cards and low‑appliance cooking guidance intended to help recipients make the most of fresh produce.

Despite those gains, Whitten and Essey said operational limits threaten expansion. The nonprofit reported saving an estimated $31,000 in soil costs through an on‑site composting program, and Kimberly cited 3,186 volunteer hours last year, but both speakers said the organization needs cold storage, reliable electricity and a new truck to distribute produce efficiently. "We need a truck. We need cold storage," Whitten said, calling those items priorities for growing production and reducing waste.

Whitten described a recent "work‑to‑pay" program in which participants can be paid for garden work and receive financial‑literacy coaching from staff. The program, she said, is part of Soulful Seeds' effort to move people "from poverty to sustainability" by pairing earnings with soft‑skills training.

Hosts and guests closed by urging community support and describing ways to get involved. Soulful Seeds lists volunteer days, a calendar of events and donation options at soulfulseedsnevada.org, Essey said. "If you're interested in being part of what we do, I always say that you need to come to the garden to actually see the magic of the garden, and then you're hooked," she said.

The episode ends with a call for donations targeted to the garden's infrastructure needs and a reminder that the organization runs public volunteer events, senior programming and corporate team‑building opportunities.