Lump in throat.

I don't have any seeds to donate to this girl, but I am happy to send her a small donation for her cause.

~RTG

Thank you so much for sharing that! I made a donation this year and feel that more should be sent. Need to go make ups some seed packs for Trudi to share this week.

I feel very strong that children should be supported in knowing how to grow veggies.

Also thanks to the folks that share there seeds to others.

ML

That good seed fairy from Lawn Guyland just keeps on going and going and going. :)

Good job, Trudi!

I'm also sending Rosie some seeds and a check. What a sweetheart!

Duane

How wonderful! We just never know how far a few small seeds can reach.

Hmmm....where to begin.

When I shared the letter with Dave I didn't know that it would be shared publicly. I don't have any problem with folks knowing the good deeds of Rosie--I think she's a fabulous young lady and we all should be thrilled by her selfless, inspiring accomplishments, but I am concerned that her name and address were innocently and openly published. I sent Dave a new copy that has the name edited out and when possible Dave will change the letter over to the one that doesn't show her address. (I personally believe that gardeners are good souls at heart but for the sake of Rosie it's important to remove her address from public view.) After the change is made anyone who wants to help Rosie can contact me for a mailing address to send her a donation c/o WinterSown and I will forward your personal letters of encouragement and seeds to her as they come in.

Many people aware of the internet presence of Trudi_d at GW (friend or foe that I am to some of you) and/or know that I freely offer seeds and info about the Winter Sowing Method, and that I also maintain a small, donor based, free and open-to-the-public tomato seedbank at WinterSown.Org. Sharing seeds to individuals through SASEs accounts for less than half of the seeds which are dispersed through WinterSown. The majority go to organizations that have requested them--foodbanks are working with extensions to create community gardens for their clients because there is a need for fresh produce to prevent mild to moderate malnutrition, budgets have been slashed and/or dues for youth clubs can no longer be raised, seniors on SS can't make ends meet so they need to grow a salad garden to help put food on their table, people are fired from closing factories and they can't find work--they need to supplement their food stamp allocations with homegrown food. These are the most dire examples, but there are also community beautification projects, senior clubs and other worthy organizations whose good work must continue despite collapsing budgets. Recently I've shared seeds with some VA Hospitals--one along the Canadian Border that is doing horticultural therapy to provide psychological benefits for Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans that are suffering from acute PTSD; another VA Hospital in the midwest is currently celebrating Women's History Month with a "Going Green" theme--they received tomatoes with women's names (Isis Candy, Juliet, Liz Burt, Aunt Ruby, etc).

Many people across all the tomato and gardening forums have donated vegetable, flower, ornamental and tomato seeds and/or their funds to WinterSown which is a registered 501c3. Seeds never stay here long, it's sometimes like the revolving door at a downtown hotel--I am just spinning. Prepacked seeds start going out in SASEs immediately, the others, as soon as I've packed and labeled them, go out right after that. Funds are pooled and go for supplies like ink and toner, labels, cases of 20 and 24lb weight papers, the little 2x3 mini zips which I used to order in 10K amounts but I just bought 15k because before when 10K would last three months it's now gone in five weeks. The economy stinks and people who never before gardened are now faced with having to grow some of their own food. Across the whole country it is an economic horror story. SASE requests have increased in a near mirror image of the stock market.

I am grateful to everyone who is helpful and supportive. Together we get the seeds and the info on sowing and growing them to beginners, people who are facing hard times, or to organizations who use the seeds for education and rehabilitation, or to little girls who have a big heart for helping wounded animals. Sometimes the seeds are only for growing food to put on plates--this is very important; some people only want tomato seeds based upon their climate and location because heritage or heirloom is not foremost on their minds (many don't know what that is and they don't care), reliable croppers are what they need and what they ask for.

Tomatoes are many things to many people, to those who can afford it they are a recreational hobby, to some others they are a source of education, to some they are there to keep hands busy and create a means to uplift the soul through the success of growing them, and to some they simply are a food that can be grown cheaply.

God bless little boys who aren't sure they like lima beans, God bless little girls who want to help rescued animals, and God bless everyone who makes it possible for good things to happen through seeds and horticulture.

T

i loved the letter alot and wanted to share it with others...
here is a new edited version..
thx david dwlcrl

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=394968909&albumID=647993&imageID=20445491

Bless you Dave, you a wonderful soul who brings to our great tomato tapestry the most fascinating and beautiful threads--the varied and unusual vartieties you share throughout our community strengthen this historical weave and hold us together.

Such is the profound joy and wisdom you bring to all who grow your seeds.

T

Trudi, thanks for your reply. I had second thoughts that perhaps it would not be good for a middle aged guy to send seeds and money to a little girl directly, even with the best of intentions. So I will not do that after all. I tried to add another post to that effect and good ole' GW wouldn't let me.

Bless you for your works (though for the life of me I still don't GET Winter sowing LOL) and bless those kids for just being themselves.

Duane

Duane, there is a huge contingency of WSers up by you--maybe someday you'll take that leap of faith and then you'll know what it's all about ;-)

Proof once again, that not just gardenING is good for the soul, but gardenERS are too!