Our Vision

Founders Kimberly Steinmann and Michael Grieneisen created Sac-SEED with a shared vision: helping communities grow and access nutritious food in ways that are both environmentally and economically sustainable. Many of the communities they hope to serve have been identified in government surveys as low-income areas with limited access to affordable, healthy food and full-service supermarkets.

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 harm pollinators, wildlife, water quality, and the air we breathe.

Economically sustainable food production means developing practical, affordable, and accessible ways for communities — especially underserved communities — to obtain fresh, nutritious food without placing additional financial strain on families.

Kimberly has long been committed to finding ways to connect people with nutritious food while protecting the environment. Her educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Ecology, master’s degrees in Agricultural Resource Economics and International Agricultural Development, and a PhD in Ecological Agriculture. 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.

Michael Grieneisen has spent years documenting biodiversity and helping maintain the pair’s half-acre pollinator garden and habitat space. His background includes a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Chemistry and a PhD in Biology with a focus in entomological biochemistry. Michael previously worked as a project scientist at the UC Davis Agricultural GIS Laboratory, where he focused on the environmental risks of pesticides among other subjects. He has collaborated on numerous successful grant projects and supports Sac-SEED in a variety of capacities, including research, planning, grant-writing, and outreach.

Together, Kimberly and Michael hope to build a program that strengthens communities and helps create healthier, more resilient local food systems.