Local nonprofit Soulful Seeds was selected as one of 385 awardees – out of 842 applicants nationwide – for the USDA’s Urban Forestry Inflation Reduction Act program. The federal program is intended to expand access to trees and green spaces in communities across the U.S.
The grant is bringing $1 million of federal funds into Washoe County to expand the number of urban orchards in high-need neighborhoods and provide access to workforce development opportunities in these orchards.
Soulful Seeds will develop the orchards in its neighborhood gardens and at sites of partnering non-profit organizations.
This new program will be available to the community from January 2024 through December 2028. Each year, the Soulful Seeds team will establish one new orchard, plant 100 trees, host one arborist apprentice, provide 30 same-day work-and-pay opportunities for underemployed neighbors, and host ongoing training and education opportunities.
Over the project’s life, the program will provide the community with an estimated 40,000 pounds of local produce, 11,600 employment hours and a minimum of five new urban orchards that will continue to serve the community after the project ends.
The nonprofit was started in 2017 and is dedicated to building a thriving community through neighborhood gardens. The nonprofit’s programs provide immediate food access from gardens grown and maintained by neighbors in need.
Source: Soulful Seeds
