When Feed & Seed in Greenville, SC, learned it had received the rare and prestigious USDA SCALES grant to fund its program partnering with Greenville County Public Schools and local farmers, the team was floored. One of only nine grants awarded nationwide, it created an opportunity to expand a farm-to-school program that connects South Carolina growers with a district serving more than 75,000 students and preparing approximately 12 million meals each year. Feed & Seed would purchase local crops, process them into ready-to-use products, and deliver them directly to school kitchens.

But a grant award does not always mean cash is immediately available. Feed & Seed needed to purchase produce, hire staff and begin production well before the federal reimbursement dollars arrived. 

Abundance Angels stepped into that timing gap with a $122,500 impact-first loan. The capital gave Feed & Seed room to move forward while it awaited USDA reimbursements, allowing the organization to continue purchasing from farmers and producing food for schools. 

Between September 2025 and July 2026, Feed & Seed received 79,562 pounds of South Carolina-grown produce from more than 10 farm partners. Sweet potatoes, collard greens, basil, strawberries and blueberries were transformed into 3,375 cases of school-ready products, including whipped sweet potatoes, braised collard greens, nut-free pesto and individually quick-frozen berries. In total, Feed & Seed produced 16,978 individual units for school meal programs across Greenville County. 

The impact extends well beyond the cafeteria tray. Farmers gain a dependable institutional market, including for crops that might not fit conventional retail channels. Schools receive nutritious, locally sourced products with greater traceability from farm to finished product. Students eat food grown in their own state. Feed & Seed builds the infrastructure needed to move more locally grown food through South Carolina’s regional food system.

The grant made the program possible. Flexible capital made it possible to begin.