🌱 Growing Together: Reflecting on 2025 and Planting New Seeds for the Year Ahead

SEED Chattanooga Year-End Blog

As 2025 comes to a close, we find ourselves reflecting with gratitude, pride, and excitement. What began as a small but determined idea, to equip Chattanooga residents with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to grow their own healthy food, has blossomed into a vibrant, community-rooted movement.

SEED Chattanooga was founded on a simple belief: everyone deserves access to fresh food, the skills to grow it, and a supportive community to grow with. This year, that vision took root in powerful ways.

🌿 What We Grew in 2025

Strengthened Partnerships & Renewed Community Garden 

One of our greatest accomplishments this year has been deepening our partnerships with two incredible community hubs: The Jessie Igou Eastdale Community Center and Hardy Elementary School. Together, we restored and maintained twelve raised garden beds, six at each site, that served as living classrooms and neighborhood gathering spaces.

These gardens became more than plots of soil. They became places where:

• Children their first seeds (see and lean the process) 

• Volunteers came from far and wide

• Neighbors shared gardens that they will be able to harvest in the coming months. 

Through hands-on gardening, participants explored soil health, plant life cycles, and environmental stewardship in ways that made learning tangible, joyful, and empowering.

Building Community Ownership

Perhaps our proudest achievement is how community members have embraced these garden spaces as their own. Volunteers, parents, and neighbors consistently showed up offering their time, their cultural food traditions, and their lived experience to help the gardens thrive.

At SEED Chattanooga, community members are not participants; they are co-creators. That model of shared ownership is the reason these projects continue to flourish long after the first planting day.

🌱 Looking Forward: Planting Seeds for the New Year

As we step into 2026 (or the beginning of a new season), we are energized by all that lies ahead.

In the coming year, SEED Chattanooga will:

• Expand our educational programs, making them more accessible to youth and families across the city

• Grow our network of community partners, identifying new neighborhoods ready to transform underused outdoor spaces into thriving gardens

• Develop a robust garden-based curriculum that makes environmental education engaging for all ages

• Increase food access by producing more fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables

• Create more opportunities for leadership and volunteerism, ensuring gardens remain community-owned and community-led

Our foundation is strong, and our purpose is clear: to plant seeds of health, empowerment, and resilience throughout Chattanooga.

Planting the Seeds of Connection

Community Garden Clean-Up Day at Hardy Elementary

At SEED Chattanooga, we believe that every act of care, whether planting a seed or pulling a weed, helps our community grow stronger roots. Our next opportunity to nurture both the earth and each other is here!

Join us on Saturday, November 22, 2025, from 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM, at Hardy Elementary School, 2100 Glass Street, Chattanooga, TN for our next Community Garden Clean-Up Day. Together, we’ll roll up our sleeves to refresh, restore, and reimagine Hardy’s school garden, turning it into a vibrant space for students and families to learn, grow, and thrive.

🌱 What to Expect

This event will bring together Hardy Elementary students, families, SEED Chattanooga volunteers, and community members for a hands-on morning of garden care and connection.

Here’s what we’ll be doing:

• Clearing weeds, debris, and overgrown areas

• Preparing six raised garden beds for new planting

• Adding soil, mulch, and straw to revitalize the garden

• Planting seasonal vegetables and pollinator-friendly plants

• Building relationships with neighbors, families, and friends

This day isn’t just about beautifying a space, it’s about creating a living classroom where young learners can connect with nature, sustainability, and healthy food.

☀️ What to Bring

• Comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes

• Gardening gloves and small tools (if you have them)

• Friends, family, and great energy!

Everyone is welcome, regardless of gardening experience, just bring your enthusiasm and a willingness to grow together.

💚 Why It Matters

Every garden tells a story, and this one is just beginning. The Hardy Elementary garden will soon become a hub for sustainability education and hands-on learning through SEED Chattanooga’s programs. By participating in the clean-up, you’re helping plant the first seeds of that future, creating a space where students can discover the power of nature, nutrition, and community. As we clear old growth and prepare new soil, we’re also cultivating something deeper: connection, care, and shared purpose.

🌻 Join Us!

Let’s plant the seeds of growth, beauty, and belonging together at Hardy Elementary.
Your helping hands will make a lasting difference, one seed, one bed, and one community at a time.

Location: Hardy Elementary School, 2100 Glass Street, Chattanooga, TN
Date: Saturday, November 22, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM

To learn more about SEED Chattanooga and how you can get involved, email me becca@seedchatt.org  Because when we care for the garden, we care for the community. 🌱

Growing Through The Seasons: Winter Planting 🌿

As the air turns crisp and the leaves fall, SEED Chattanooga is getting ready to plant something special, not just in the soil, but in the heart of our community.

We’re thrilled to invite you to our next Community Planting Day at the Jessie Igou Center on Saturday, November 1, 2025! This season, we’re planting for the winter and building something new, our very own composting system on site.

This event marks the next step in our journey of sustainable education and community growth, one garden bed and one handful of soil at a time.

What We’ll Be Doing

• Planting winter crops to nourish our community through the colder months

• Creating a composting station that will turn garden scraps into rich, living soil for seasons to come

• Learning together about soil health, seasonal gardening, and sustainability

• Sharing food, laughter, and connection as we work side by side

Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just curious about composting, there’s a place for you here. Every seed planted and every bucket of compost turned helps sustain something bigger, a community rooted in care and connection.

Why Composting Matters

Composting is nature’s way of recycling, turning what we once saw as waste into nourishment for new growth. By creating compost on-site at the Jessie Igou Center, we’re closing the loop and deepening our commitment to sustainability.

Together, we’ll learn how to transform food scraps and garden waste into healthy, living soil, the foundation for everything we grow.

Join Us in Growing Forward

This Community Day isn’t just about planting winter crops. It’s about cultivating a culture of care, responsibility, and renewal.

When we plant together, we build relationships. When we compost together, we sustain the cycle of life. And when we nurture the earth, we nurture each other.

So grab your gloves, bring your family and friends, and come grow with us!
Saturday, November 1, 2025 | Jessie Igou Center | 9 AM – 12 PM

At SEED Chattanooga, we believe that every season offers a chance to learn, grow, and give back. As we prepare the soil for winter, we’re also planting hope for spring, one seed, one handful of compost, and one community at a time.

Because when we grow together, we thrive together. 🌿

Community Clean Up Day

Our First Step: Community Garden Clean-Up Day 🌿

Written by Becca Love

At SEED Chattanooga, we believe that change begins one seed, one space, and one moment at a time. In our first blog, we shared our vision of planting seeds for a healthier tomorrow. Now, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and take our very first step together.

We’re excited to invite you to SEED Chattanooga’s first community event:

Saturday, October 4, 2025
Jessie Igou Community Center

This Garden Clean-Up Day is about more than pulling weeds and clearing garden beds , it’s about neighbors coming together, caring for shared spaces, and preparing the soil for new growth. With your help, we’ll transform the community garden into a vibrant, welcoming place where families can gather, learn, and grow.

What to Expect

• Clearing weeds and debris

• Refreshing and preparing garden beds for fall planting

• Planting seasonal flowers and herbs

• Building connections with neighbors, friends, and families

This event is family-friendly and open to all ages. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or simply eager to help, your presence will make a difference. Please bring a pair of gloves, some garden tools. We’ll provide coffee and light refreshments, also bring your great energy and a heart for community.

Why This Matters

Every garden tells a story, and this one will be a story of community resilience and renewal. By working together, we’re not only creating a space for fresh food but also a space where people can learn, connect, and thrive. This clean-up is the beginning of many opportunities for hands-on education, sustainable gardening, and community empowerment through SEED Chattanooga.

Join Us!

Mark your calendars, bring a friend, and come ready to make an impact. Together, we’ll plant the roots of something beautiful , a healthier, stronger, more connected Chattanooga.

Learn more about SEED Chattanooga by exploring our website, because when we care for the garden, we care for the community.

Welcome To SEED Chattanooga

Planting Seeds for a Healthier Tomorrow 🌱

Welcome to the very first blog post from SEED Chattanooga, we’re so glad you’re here!

SEED, which stands for Sustainable Education & Edible Development, is rooted in a simple but powerful vision: to educate, empower, and sustain our communities through food, gardens, and shared knowledge.

At SEED Chattanooga, we believe that thriving communities begin with healthy individuals and equitable access to knowledge and nourishment. Rooted in Chattanooga, our mission is to empower youth and families through hands-on gardening education, culinary programming, and community partnerships. By transforming spaces into vibrant learning gardens, we cultivate not just food, but lifelong skills in sustainability, nutrition, and wellness. Guided by our core pillars, Education, Access, Community, Sustainability, and Empowerment, we are growing a future where everyone can connect deeply with the earth, with each other, and with the tools they need to flourish.

Growing Together

Launching in January 2026, SEED Chattanooga will officially begin its work as a nonprofit organization. From the start, we’ll focus on equipping youth and families with the skills and confidence to:

• Plant seeds with intention

• Grow healthy food in their own neighborhoods

• Harvest fresh produce at the right time

• Can and preserve foods for year-round nourishment

• Cook nutritious meals that bring families together

• Compost food waste to sustain the soil for generations to come

We see gardening not just as growing food, but as growing community, resilience, and hope.

Why It Matters

Food is more than fuel, it’s culture, connection, and care. Too often, families in underserved neighborhoods lack access to fresh produce or the resources needed to sustain community gardens. By providing education and hands-on support, SEED Chattanooga is planting the foundation for healthier lifestyles, stronger families, and greener communities.

Join Us on the Journey

This is just the beginning. Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing stories, resources, and opportunities for you to get involved. Whether you’re a gardener, a parent, a student, or simply someone who cares about the future of Chattanooga, there’s a place for you in the SEED family.

Together, we’ll nurture the soil, the gardens, and most importantly, the people.

Because when we plant seeds today, we harvest hope tomorrow.