Donations of Goods
Every year, Fedco donates seeds and other goods to small groups and organizations working on education, food security and food sovereignty, and more. Donation guidelines, timelines, and a link to request a donation of goods can be found below. All donations are subject to availability and provided at our discretion.
Who We Donate To
Anyone is welcome to submit a request for a donation of goods. Unfortunately, we receive many more requests each year than we can fulfill. Below are the guidelines we use when determining whether to make a donation.
Regional considerations
We prioritize requests from Maine-based groups, followed by requests from groups in the Northeast US region, followed by other cold-climate regions our varieties are suited for, followed by all other requests.
Organizational alignment
We prioritize requests from small groups working on education and food security. Schools, libraries, community gardens, prison gardens, and food pantries are frequent recipients.
We appreciate the hard work of nationally-based non-profit organizations, but have found that our organization has the most impact when we prioritize small, community-based efforts.
Other considerations
Shipping heavy packages of donated goods is often cost prohibitive, and for heavy or bulky goods (e.g., potatoes and trees) we give preference to local groups who can arrange a pickup.
Availability of Goods
Seeds and growing supplies donations are shipped throughout the season and can take a few weeks to process. Donations of potatoes, trees, and bulbs only occur once a year, at the end of their respective seasons. While requests for these items are taken earlier, they are not reviewed until shipping for the season is complete.
| Division | Goods available | Requests accepted when | Donations sent when |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Seeds
|
Vegetable, herb, & flower seeds
|
January-mid May
|
January-May
|
|
OGS
|
Farm, garden, & orchard supplies
|
Year Round
|
Year Round
|
|
Potatoes
|
Seed potatoes
|
December-April
|
May
|
|
Trees
|
Trees & perennials
|
December-April
|
May
|
|
Bulbs
|
Garlic & flower bulbs
|
mid August-early October
|
October
|
During times when we are not accepting donation requests, we ask that you consider reaching out to a local mutual aid effort instead. Check out #coopgardens
Donations of seeds often include seeds that we've deemed unsaleable. This includes seeds in visibly damaged packaging, and seeds with lower germination rates. Seeds with lower germination rates can still be planted, but should be sown more densely.
Request a Donation of Goods
After reading the above guidelines, please use the form below to request a donation of goods from Fedco.
QUESTIONS? Email donations@fedcoseeds.com