Hurricane Recovery Seed Grants
Hello Everyone,
I feel like it’s been a while since I checked in! So much has been happening here, and I feel like these posts are a moment where I can take a deep breath and really reflect on what’s going on and where we are headed. I invite you to take a deep breath too.
The climate is changing, the storms are getting more intense, the fires burning stronger, the droughts lasting longer and longer. But in the midst of this chaos, it’s been incredibly energizing and hopeful to see how everyone is showing up.
In response to Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, we launched a seed grant program to support Farmers, Apothecaries, and other Earthworkers who suddenly found their communities and the land where they lived, worked, and stewarded completely flooded—sometimes with more than 10 feet of water. Crops were washed away along with vital equipment and infrastructure, and these communities needed immediate support.
We received over 50 applications within the first half an hour from folks who needed support, but more importantly, these applicants were looking to pour into their communities with herbal first aid and other remedies that they already had on hand and ready to go. We are proud to introduce some of our grantees who are doing incredible work to support their communities in the wake of these disasters.
Bigwitch Indian Wisdom Initiative (NC)
Serves: Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Goals: Promote food sovereignty and cultural education
Need: Herbs, seeds, transportation for distributing herbal remedies
Bigwitch Indian Wisdom Initiative is a Cherokee collective dedicated to cultural and environmental preservation. They focus on food sovereignty, language revitalization, and health education, sharing traditional foods and remedies with their community. The initiative also trains non-Native allies on ethical partnerships, emphasizing Cherokee cultural wisdom as central to holistic community health and environmental sustainability.
Statement of Need:
This funding will support bulk tincture production, seed purchasing for the Mother Garden, and necessary distribution efforts. Supplies, medicine making, and transportation require significant time and labor to ensure the remedies reach those in need. Donations of herbs, tinctures, and culturally significant plants have already been accepted for community distribution.
Awarded: $2,500
The Herban Apothecary & Herbal Harm Reduction (FL)
Serves: Unhoused and QTBIPOC in Central Florida and Cuba
Goals: Produce/distribute herbal medicines; support mental health/stress
Need: Hurricane-relief herb donations and shipping costs
A grassroots organization led by QTBIPOC youth, The Herban Apothecary focuses on herbal health education and distributing sustainably grown herbal medicines. Serving Central Florida’s unhoused and QTBIPOC populations, along with Cuban communities, they work to promote resilience through natural remedies, harm reduction, and health sovereignty.
Statement of Need:
Funds will cover the value of donated medicines and shipping costs for mutual aid organizers. Their farm produces over 25 medicinal plant varieties, with high demand for nervines and stress-supporting remedies.
Awarded: $1,500
Stephanie Dasai, Herbalist (NC)
Serves: WNC BIPOC and non-English-speaking communities
Goals: Continue community herbal knowledge
Need: Supplies for community herbal medicine continuity
Stephanie Dasai is a bilingual herbalist committed to making holistic care accessible to non-English speakers and marginalized groups. Through healing circles and mutual aid, she helps individuals reclaim ancestral medicine practices.
Statement of Need:
Stephanie donated her entire supply of dry herbs and bottled tinctures to local mutual aid efforts and now seeks support to replenish these supplies. She aims to create “first aid kits” of herbal remedies for community members before winter.
Awarded: $1,000
Aflorar Herb Collective (NC)
Serves: Communities of color across Appalachia
Goals: Provide post-disaster herbal remedies
Need: Supplies for herbal mutual aid and emotional support
Aflorar Herb Collective provides healing spaces and herbal mutual aid to BIPOC and low-income communities affected by Hurricane Helene. Co-founded by an Afro-Latinx herbalist, the collective operates a half-acre urban farm offering bodywork, herbal support, and community wellness events.
Statement of Need:
The demand for their herbal remedies has surged post-Hurricane Helene. Many in their community are displaced and struggling to access healthcare, making their herbal support critical for recovery.
Awarded: $1,500
Mystic Roots Herbal Apothecary (GA)
Serves: Sapelo Island residents and national customers
Goals: Expand herbal production post-disaster
Need: Dehydrators, supplies, and labor for herbal product creation
Mystic Roots operates an herbal farm and apothecary dedicated to promoting health and resilience in the Sapelo Island community. Following a recent disaster, they plan to create salves, teas, and oils to support emotional well-being.
Statement of Need:
Funding will help purchase additional dehydrators, organic bulk herbs, glass jars, tins, and essential oils. The remainder will support local herbalists in creating and distributing remedies while also securing seeds for the 2025 growing season.
Awarded: $2,000
These incredible grantees exemplify the power of mutual aid, resilience, and community care. Each of these initiatives is not just responding to immediate crises but also ensuring long-term healing, sustainability, and sovereignty for their communities. We are deeply honored to support them in this work, and we know that their impact will continue to grow.
If you’d like to support this work, consider donating to Seeding Sovereignty’s Mutual Aid Fund or getting involved in your local community efforts. Together, we are building a world where care and healing are accessible to all.
With gratitude and solidarity,
Yam
Seeding Sovereignty Mutual Aid Program
