DURHAM, April 8, 2013 – SEEDS, the educational community garden in the heart of Durham, will be breaking ground on their facility expansion project Wednesday, April 10 at 11:30am. The public is invited to join SEEDS’ staff, board and supporters in celebrating this milestone. Founder Brenda Brodie and Betty Kenan, mother of co-founder Annice Kenan, will participate in the ceremony. In true growing tradition, SEEDS will symbolically transplant cuttings from the prolific fig tree, located where the new building entrance will be.
The building renovation, designed by MHAworks and constructed by CT Wilson, will expand the size of the current structure from 3200 sq. ft. to approximately 5000 sq. ft. The main entrance to the building will be relocated to the West side of the structure, making the garden the focal point of all activity. Working and learning space will be expanded, and a Teaching Kitchen will be added to complete the journey from seed to table.
“The opportunity to create a facility that will support program growth is truly extraordinary,” says Emily Egge, Executive Director at SEEDS. “The redesign of the building makes it a part of the garden, and allows us to integrate cooking – that final step from harvesting to eating – in a hands-on way we could not before.”
“MHAworks is proud to contribute in helping to make SEEDS’ goal of improving their current facilities and expanding their future possibilities a reality,” says Jared Martinson, project architect for MHAworks. “We believe that the garden and building are a salute to this organization’s public efforts and an affirmation of their core values as a service to the community.”
Founded in 1994 by Brenda Brodie and Annice Kenan, SEEDS was a pioneer on Gilbert Street, transforming a blighted, vacant lot into a thriving urban oasis. Over the next 19 years, the organization has grown to serve children, youth and adults, teaching principles of sustainable agriculture, organic gardening, food security and environmental stewardship to Durham citizens.
SEEDS is an educational community garden located in the heart of Durham. Through gardening and growing food, we teach people respect for themselves, for the earth and for each other.
Contact:
Emily Egge
Executive Director
La Buena Vida 
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