Free seeds available for Grow a Little Extra participants

Home gardeners can help anti-hunger organizations in Big Horn County by participating in Grow a Little Extra, a collaboration of First Lady Jennie Gordon’s Wyoming Hunger Initiative, the University of Wyoming Extension and the Cent$ible Nutrition Program.

Free seeds are available at the Big Horn County Extension Office, which is coordinating local efforts by accepting produce donations, weighing them and distributing them to local anti-hunger organizations

In Basin, Grow a Little Extra donations will go to the Basin Food Pantry. 

If grown in Lovell area, donations will benefit the Lovell Food Pantry.  

Now in its fifth year, Grow a Little Extra encourages home gardeners to “grow a little extra,” existing community gardens to dedicate one or two sections to growing food specifically for donation, and churches or community organizations who want to start a new garden to grow food for the community. 

In 2024, the Grow a Little Extra partnership donated over 40,000 pounds of produce to anti-hunger organizations in the state. Fresh produce is difficult and costly for the food pantry system to procure, and this project encourages people from across the state to participate in this Wyoming solution to hunger. 

 “University of Wyoming Extension is already doing good work around the state with their Master Gardener program and Cent$ible Nutrition Program,” said First Lady Jennie Gordon. “This Wyoming Hunger Initiative effort continues to leverage the work already being done to increase access to local produce for a wide range of people in Wyoming.”  

Strengthening local food systems reduces food insecurity and increases positive health outcomes, which supports Wyoming Hunger Initiative’s goal of ensuring nourished kids, healthy families and thriving communities across the state. 

“The collaboration with the Wyoming Hunger Initiative and the UW Cent$ible Nutrition Program has been a fruitful partnership. Locally grown produce donations along with nutrition education has helped address food and nutrition security in Wyoming. We look forward to another great season of collaborating with the Wyoming Hunger Initiative and local gardeners to support hunger relief organizations,” said Cent$ible Nutrition State Director Mindy Meuli. 

Anyone in the state of Wyoming who enjoys gardening is encouraged to grow an extra row or two and donate the produce to their local Extension office, where it will be weighed and distributed to local anti-hunger organizations. 

Contact Gretchen Gasvoda at 307-568-4160 or gasvoda@uwyo.edu for more information.