Spring 2026 marked another exciting milestone for Vlada’s Seeds of Life as we continued expanding our Little Sproutsinitiative throughout New York, providing free rare and heirloom fruit and vegetable seeds to public libraries and community organizations dedicated to improving the health and well-being of their neighborhoods.
New York is one of the most vibrant and culturally diverse places in the world. Yet many communities also face significant challenges when it comes to healthy living. Limited access to fresh produce, busy lifestyles, high living costs, limited green space in many neighborhoods, and the growing reliance on processed foods can make maintaining a healthy lifestyle difficult for many families.
Through our Little Sprouts initiative, we are helping families discover the joy of growing their own food, learning valuable gardening skills, and reconnecting with nature. Whether someone has a backyard, a small patio, or simply a few containers on a windowsill, gardening offers opportunities to improve physical health, reduce stress, strengthen family connections, and teach children where healthy food comes from.
During our Spring 2026 distribution, free heirloom seeds were provided to the following New York libraries:
- New York Public Library (multiple branches)
- Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library
- The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
- Brooklyn Public Library – Central Branch
- Queens Public Library at Queens Village
- Jefferson Market Library
- George Latimer Central Library (White Plains)
- Lucille Cohen Library
In addition to our library partners, we were proud to provide seed donations to several churches throughout New York, helping faith-based organizations establish gardens and create opportunities for families to learn, grow, and serve their communities together.
For several years, our educational television program, Cooking with Vlada, has aire in New York through public access television, sharing practical lessons on healthy cooking, gardening, sustainability, and the importance of bringing families together around the dinner table. Being able to expand our Little Sprouts initiative into communities connected to our television audience is especially meaningful, allowing viewers to put those lessons into practice by growing some of the very ingredients they see featured on the program.
Together, Little Sprouts and Cooking with Vlada create a unique educational approach that encourages healthier and more connected lifestyles. While Little Sprouts inspires families to grow fresh fruits and vegetables and develop lifelong gardening skills, Cooking with Vlada demonstrates how to transform those fresh ingredients into nutritious, affordable meals using simple, natural recipes.
Every seed packet represents an opportunity to inspire healthier choices, preserve rare and heirloom plant varieties, encourage environmental stewardship, and create meaningful experiences that bring generations together.
As we continue expanding our outreach across New York and throughout the United States, we remain grateful to every library, church, volunteer, and community partner who shares our vision. Together, we are planting more than gardens—we are planting healthier habits, stronger communities, and hope for future generations.
Thank you, New York, for welcoming Little Sprouts into your communities. We look forward to continuing this journey together, one seed, one garden, and one family at a time.