Distributing Vegetable Seeds for Community Service Work

Do you or your local community service group have a garden project? Do you raise fresh vegetables for your local Food Pantry? Do you administer a Community Garden? Work with a 4-H group, or Youth Group Garden Program? Would you like to be able to give vegetable seeds to low-income families to grow their own vegetables? In what other ways could you or would you be able to put vegetable seeds to constructive use in community service? Through a generous donation from a major distributor of garden seeds, Lake Valley Seeds of Boulder, Colorado, we are able to supply you with high-quality vegetable seeds of many varieties. We are very grateful for their generosity in addressing the issue of Hunger at the grass-roots level here in Oregon. Every local Grange in Oregon has, or will have, access to these donated vegetable seeds, and can distribute them in their local area as is needful. In 2008, Winona Grange initiated a local effort to raise fresh vegetables, enlisting members and others to grow an extra row, or a whole garden, or to co-op with others at a local Century Farm. All the produce is goes to our local Food Pantry. As a result, we have seen renewed enthusiasm for community service, an increased community awareness of the Grange, more active participation at our monthly meetings, and some new members, too. One of the Grange's original mandates was to provide seeds, supplies and equipment to farmers at reasonable prices, at a time in our history when merchants wanted to sell to them at retail, and then buy their produce below wholesale. We in the Granges of Oregon find ourselves returning to our roots in being able to enable others in needful community service programs all across the state. If you represent an Oregon Grange wanting to participate in seed distribution for community service, please contact us. We are compiling a list of participating Oregon Granges, and will eventually post it on this page. Plant some seeds; grow some local community benefits. If you represent a local Community Service Organization desiring vegetable seeds for your Garden Project, you have a few options. You may contact your local Grange, and ask if they are, or could be persuaded to be, participating in the Seed Distribution Program. You can also contact us at Winona Grange #271 directly. We will attempt to find a Grange near you in the program. Later on, you may be able to find a participating Grange in your area from the list mentioned above. In the absence of a local participating Grange, you may write us on your organization's letterhead, with a request for Seeds.  January 2010 Update: Yes, we will be distributing garden seeds again in 2010. However, there are some things that are different this year: First, we don't have as many veggie seeds as we did last year. As a result, it is necessary to limit everyone to ONE assortment this year. We are exploring additional sources, but don't hold your breath. Second, although many of the same varieties you received last year are also present this year, there is less variety. Third, along with the veggie seeds this year, came enormous numbers of flower seeds. The majority are Annuals, but there are significant numbers of Perrenials, too. If you can distribute flower seeds to your local garden clubs, etc., please feel free to ask for as many flower seed assortments as you can use. Fourth, as the rates for Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes have risen slightly, the basic shipping charge for each Large Assortment is now $10.95.     Contact us about Seeds We are making the seeds available in assortments of two sizes, Large and Small, Large being whatever fits into a Priority Mail Flat Rate Box.  At the bottom of the page, you will find the costs and some other choices to make. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments you may have. Assortments will be labeled as"Donated Seeds, Not for Resale" and "Distributed by the Grange." We are also able to furnish "Your Grange" labels for identifying "your" assortment as being distributed by "Your Grange." Seed packets will be available at no cost, except for the cost of shipping via the US Mail. Priority Mail will be used, as the Post Office supplies the boxes at no cost.

Oregon Granges participating in 2009

Community Service organizations and individuals may use this list to locate a participating Oregon Grange near you.  Grange  Mailing Address  City  Zip  Hall Location            Abernethy Grange #346  11515 SE 60th Ave.  Milwaukie  97222  Oregon City, Clackamas County  Ada Grange #570  6186 Canary Rd.  Westlake  97493  Ada, Coos County  Azalea Grange #786  497 Brady Hill Lane  Azalea  97410  Azalea, Douglas County  Brownsmead Grange #822  92408 Koppisch Rd.  Astoria  97103  Astoria, Clatsop county  Chetco Grange #765  PO Box 2537  Harbor  97415  Harbor, Curry County  Clarkes Grange #261  150 Glory Lane  Molalla  97038  Beavercreek, Clackamas County  Deer Island Grange #947  33562 Tide Creek Rd.  Deer Island  97054  Deer Island, Columbia County  Elmira Grange #523  39753 Little Fall Creek Rd.  Fall Creek  97438  Elmira, Lane County  Gold Hill Grange #534  PO Box 34  Gold Hill  97525  Gold Hill, Jackson County  Kellogg Grange #811  23620 St. Highway 38  Elkton  97436  Douglas County  Kinton Grange #564  12600 SW Crescent St. #427  Beaverton  97005  Beaverton, Washington County  Little Deschutes Grange #939  PO Box 662  LaPine  97739  LaPine, Deschutes County  Lowell Grange #745  PO Box 47  Lowell  97452  Lowell, Lane County  Mapleton Grange #584  PO Box 82  Swisshome  97480  Mapleton, Coos County  Missouri Flat Grange #612  24428 Keating Grange Rd.  Baker City  97814  Baker City, Baker County  Mohawk Grange #922  39341 Howard Rd.  Marcola  97454  Marcola, Lane County  Mosier Grange #234  PO Box 195  Mosier  97040  Mosier, Wasco County  Ramsey Park Grange #352  81346 Winslow Rd.  Dufur  97021  Dufur, Wasco County  Redland Grange #796  18315 S. Norman Rd.  Oregon City  97045  Oregon City, Clackamas County  Russellville Grange #353  7402 N. Kellogg St.  Portland  97203  Portland, Multnomah County  Santa Clara Grange #746  28881 Hillaire St.  Eugene  97402  Eugene, Lane County  Scotts Mills Grange #938  7392 Heinz Rd. NE  Silverton  97381  Scotts Mills, Marion County  Siletz Valley Grange #558  PO Box 35  Siletz  97380  Siletz, Lincoln County  Sunnyside Grange #842  5336 SE 87th Ave.  Portland  97266  Clackamas, Clackamas County  Williams Grange #399  PO Box 121  Williams  97544  Williams, Josephine County

Costs, Shipping, Advertising

The cost for an assortment of seeds is to cover our shipping expenses. We don't have to buy boxes, as the Post Office supplies us with boxes for Priority Mail at no cost, delivered to our door. We are using a few packaging supplies: cardboard dividers, packing tape, and of course, the self-adhesive labels, including the shipping labels, and the ink to print them. Also, we are supplying some self-adhesive labels along with the assortments. There are multiple purposes for them. First, we are identifying the seeds as having been donated, and not for re-sale. This is important, because we are not in competition with the donor's retail dealers for their seed business.  Second, they should be good advertising, for the Grange in general, and for your Grange in particular. For no additional charge, we include 30 self-adhesive labels (one sheet of the generic labels) with every assortment. For enough labels to so identify nearly all individual packets (210 labels or 7 sheets), we charge a nominal extra fee, to cover the label and printing expenses. These can have your individual Grange name and number on them. This presents you with an additional opportunity to raise your community's awareness of your Grange. Putting the labels on the assortment, or on the individual seed packets, is a job for the volunteers at your Grange.      Generic Label "Your Grange" Label  Large Assortments are shipped in Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes; Small Assortments are shipped in Priority Mail boxes, based on weight and distance. The shipping costs for Small Assortments are for shipments within Oregon. We intend to fill all orders from Oregon Granges and Oregon Community Sevice organizations first; if we receive any requests from out-of-state Granges, we will consider them next, as our inventory permits. Out-of-state shipping costs will be higher for the Small Assortments.  Large Assortment Small Assortment   With 30 generic labels: $10.95  With 30 generic labels: $7.00  With 210 "Your Grange" labels: $15.15  With 90 "Your Grange" labels: $8.80 Shipping weight 5 lbs., 6 oz. Shipping weight 2 lbs., 15 oz. Contact us about Seeds

Ordering Seed Assortments

We are now accepting orders for Seed Assortments for 2010. Seed Assortments will be shipped beginning the 1st or 2nd week in February. Please send all requests, accompanied by your payment for shipping, and labels wanted, if any, to: Winona Grange #271, PO Box 3484, Tualatin, OR 97062. Thanks for participating with us in this grass-roots effort to grow good things on many levels! The response to this program in 2009 was beyond our expectations. There were as many applicants we could not send seeds to, as there were that we did send seeds to. We hope to repeat the program again next year. Stay tuned.