A visit to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds in the Ozark hills near Mansfield, Mo., is like a step back in time. The pioneer village setting boasts replicas of 19th-century buildings including a restaurant, bakery, old-time mercantile, blacksmith and even a jail. 

On a snowy afternoon, Jere Gettle, owner of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, rushes out of the cold and into the restaurant to talk about his donation of $200,000 worth of seeds to Convoy of Hope. “We really wanted to give these seeds to a legitimate organization that would distribute the seeds and get them to people in need,” says Gettle. “Convoy of Hope was a perfect fit.”

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Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds produces around 1,400 varieties of rare, unusual heirloom seeds each year. The donated seeds were inventory the company couldn’t change over at the end of the year.

“These seeds have the potential to feed thousands,” says Dr. Jason Streubel, agriculture specialist for Convoy of Hope. “We’ll use the seeds as we work to promote sustainable agriculture initiatives in impoverished countries.”

Streubel says Convoy of Hope will begin shipping the seeds in the next two months.

“It’s really exciting what a little bit of seed can do for a community,” says Gettle. “We’ve seen it several times and it is amazing to watch. I look forward to seeing what a difference Convoy of Hope can make with them.”