Seedling Giveaway Initiative
Your actions on Giving Tuesday are more than just a contribution of time, talent or treasure.
They are the spark for change.
It’s Giving Tuesday.
While Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the biggest shopping days of the year, Giving Tuesday on November 28th marks something greater. With The Brown Homestead, each dollar raised on #GivingTuesday will help to generate healthy food for hungry tummies throughout 2024. Through this initiative, we will purchase heirloom varieties of seeds as well as the soil, trays and pots required to plant and grow 500 seedlings next spring. Our goal is to provide hundreds of plants at no charge to the community to be used in residential and community gardens throughout Niagara plus, grow fresh produce throughout the season to donate to our local food bank.
We are asking for your support.
Your actions on Giving Tuesday are more than just a contribution of time, talent or treasure. They are the spark for change. Your support today empowers our mission, creating real impact in the lives we touch… through education about our past, promoting healthy minds and bodies, fighting food insecurity and fostering community connection.
Seedling Giveaway Initiative
For the past two years, The Brown Homestead has cultivated, expanded and tended to a Victory Garden on part of the pastoral 7.5 acres of land surrounding the John Brown House and Norton Cabin.
In 2023, we grew our own heirloom variety of seedlings (along with hybrids) and in turn developed a Seedling Giveaway Initiative as part of our larger Victory Garden Program. An initiative designed to bring past to present, it also provided a mechanism by which we could support the community while still furthering our mission.
We provided 400 seedlings to various residents, horticultural groups, and community gardens to promote education about the importance of heirloom varieties, their role in history’s continuum, and to facilitate the growing and harvesting of fresh produce for many Niagara residents in need.
The program is flourishing, and with your help we can continue the momentum in supporting our community together.
“Thanks to The Brown Homestead, I was able to add perennial and annual herbs to my personal garden, which I enjoyed all summer and have now dried to enjoy through the winter months.”
On Giving Tuesday,
let’s make every act of generosity count.
Here’s how you can help.
There are three ways you can get involved this #GivingTuesday. Become a volunteer, make a donation and/or follow us on social media. Each of these actions in turn will provide a direct impact to the Niagara community and to neighbours around you.
1. Follow us on social media.
Curious to know what’s happening at The Brown Homestead? We want to keep you up to date. We regularly release a variety of programs, events, restoration updates, informational videos, research journals and podcasts to keep you engaged. Give us a Like and Follow on Facebook to always know what’s happening at TBH! Don’t forget to share those posts that you feel are interesting, and help us spread the word.
2. Become a Volunteer
Volunteers are the lifeblood of every non-profit organization. This Giving Tuesday we are looking to recruit six (6) new volunteers to help us plant, tend, transplant and nourish the seedlings for the Seedling Giveaway Initiative, as well as other exciting programs and events throughout the year. Please join us!
3. Make a Donation
Each dollar raised on Giving Tuesday will help to generate healthy food for hungry tummies throughout 2024. With your help we can purchase heirloom varieties of seeds as well as the soil, trays and pots required to plant and grow another 500 seedlings. Our goal is to once again provide hundreds of plants at no charge to the community to be used in residential and community gardens throughout Niagara plus, grow fresh produce throughout the season to donate to our local food bank.
We are looking for 100 donors to give $10 each, can we count on you?
*Donations of $20 or more are eligible for a tax receipt.
2023 Small Act, Great Impact
400 seedlings given to the community
500 plants grown in-house
13 education sessions offered
140 lbs. of produce donated to Community Care
2024 - How will you help?
“For obvious financial reasons, it was beneficial, as my family and I love summer tomatoes and eat A LOT of them. Less of an impact on our environment is a major plus too. Not having my tomatoes shipped from across the province or even across the Canadian border, packaged, processed, and stored in climate control are some things I am aware of and find important.”
Victory Gardeners showing off their harvest!
Help us reach our goal!
“One tomato plant provided some of the tastiest tomatoes I have ever grown. For the first time, I added homegrown herbs to the tomato sauce I made! And the butterflies had a great time in the plants too! Thanks to The Brown Homestead this was one of my most exciting gardening years yet!”
Thank You to those who have sponsored this initiative so far!
Their Gift: Two rain barrels
Their Gift: 500 compostable pots