Our Vision

As Sacramento continues to grow, many neighborhoods across the region face barriers to accessing affordable, nutritious food, including rising food costs and limited availability of full-service grocery stores. SAC-SEED was born from our desire to explore ways that communities, organizations, and local residents can work together to improve access to healthy food while also supporting environmental sustainability.

To SAC-SEED, sustainability means more than simply growing food.

Environmentally sustainable food production means growing food in ways that protect human health and reduce reliance on agricultural chemicals that can negatively impact pollinators, wildlife, water quality, and the air we breathe.

Economically sustainable food systems involve finding practical, affordable, and accessible ways for people and families to obtain fresh, nutritious food without creating additional financial strain.

SAC-SEED founders Kimberly Steinmann and Michael Grieneisen have lived in the Sacramento/Yolo County region for more than 30 years and currently maintain a half-acre pollinator garden and habitat space near Carmichael. They will contribute their experience and backgrounds alongside the knowledge and experience of residents, educators, gardeners, other nonprofits, and neighborhood leaders, as SAC-SEED continues to grow and evolve.

Kim has long been interested in the connections between environmental stewardship, food accessibility, and community well-being. Her background in ecology, agriculture, and community development includes advanced study in ecological agriculture and agricultural economics, as well as hands-on experience working on a variety of farms. Since 2015, she has volunteered as a University of California Sacramento County Master Gardener and currently works as a research scientist with the Integrated Pest Management Program at the California Department of Pesticide Regulation within the California Environmental Protection Agency. 

Mike has a long-standing interest in biodiversity, community science, and the ways healthy ecosystems can coexist with food production. He contributes regularly to biodiversity databases such as iNaturalist, serves as an editor for several scientific journals in agriculture and ecology, and helps care for Kim and Mike’s half-acre pollinator garden and habitat space. His background in biology, chemistry, and environmental research includes work related to pesticide-associated environmental risks, collaborative research projects, and grant-funded program management. 

Because SAC-SEED is still in its early stages, community input will play an important role in shaping the organization’s future direction. Kim and Mike will spend the coming years listening, learning, building relationships, and working alongside community members, educators, gardeners, other nonprofits, and local leaders to better understand what types of programs and partnerships would be the most practical, meaningful, and beneficial.

-Kim and Mike

SAC-SEED