Seeds of Change
Seeds of Change is an organic seed and food company owned by Mars, Incorporated.
Last updated October 17, 2026
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Overview
Seeds of Change is an organic seed and food company founded in 1989 by Gabriel Howearth and Kenny Ausubel. It began as a specialist seed business focused on organically produced and organically managed varieties, reflecting the founders' interest in biodiversity, sustainable agriculture, and the preservation of traditional crop varieties. The company subsequently expanded beyond seeds into packaged organic foods, including products such as pasta sauces and salad dressings. The company has been associated with efforts to connect consumer food products with broader environmental and agricultural objectives. A central commitment described in reference material is the allocation of 1% of net sales to sustainable organic farming initiatives. Through its 1% Fund and a partnership with Conservation International, Seeds of Change has supported work intended to strengthen and protect traditional shade-grown cabruca cacao cultivation in Brazil. The fund has also supported organizations and initiatives connected with organic farming, conservation, and agricultural policy, including the Environmental Working Group, the Organic Trade Association, the Organic Center, and the Organic Farming Research Foundation. Seeds of Change also operated a research farm and gardens intended to support seed preservation, organic cultivation, and public engagement with crop diversity. The research farm was established in 1989 in Gila, New Mexico, by Gabriel Howearth. In 1996 it moved to a site nearer the company's Santa Fe offices, where it occupied approximately six acres of land along the Rio Grande and maintained more than 1,000 plant varieties. The site was described as having originally been cultivated by the Tewa people and was certified organic by Oregon Tilth. The farm served as a practical demonstration of organic growing methods as well as a repository for diverse plant material. Mars, Incorporated acquired Seeds of Change in 1995, making the company a subsidiary while allowing the Seeds of Change name and product identity to continue. The business was headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for much of its earlier history. In 2010, Mars announced the closure of the research farm and the transfer of some management functions to Los Angeles. The company characterized the decision as a strategic shift, and the closure reportedly affected employee positions. The final public tour took place in August 2010. The company is best understood as an organic-food and sustainable-agriculture brand within the Mars corporate portfolio. Its identity combines packaged food products with a legacy in organic seeds, crop diversity, and environmental initiatives. Publicly available reference material provides limited detail about its current corporate structure, product assortment, leadership, and geographic distribution; therefore, those areas remain only partially documented here.
History
Seeds of Change was established in 1989 by Gabriel Howearth and Kenny Ausubel as a company specializing in organic seeds. Its founding placed the business within the emerging modern organic-food and sustainable-agriculture movement, with an emphasis on seed diversity and cultivation practices that avoided synthetic agricultural inputs. The company later broadened its commercial scope by developing and selling processed organic foods, including pasta sauces and salad dressings. A significant part of the company's early identity was its research and demonstration work. Gabriel Howearth founded the Seeds of Change Research Farm and Gardens in 1989 at Gila, New Mexico. The farm was intended to support the study and propagation of diverse plant varieties while demonstrating organic growing methods. In 1996, it moved to a larger and more accessible location near the company's Santa Fe offices. The relocated site covered about six acres on a flood plain along the Rio Grande and maintained more than 1,000 plant varieties. The land had previously been cultivated by the Tewa people, and the farm obtained organic certification from Oregon Tilth. Mars, Incorporated acquired Seeds of Change in 1995. The acquisition made Seeds of Change part of Mars while preserving its distinct name and organic-food orientation. For many years the business operated from Santa Fe, New Mexico, where its food and seed activities were connected with the research farm and the company's sustainability profile. The company also established a philanthropic and sustainability commitment through a program commonly described as the 1% Fund. Seeds of Change devoted 1% of net sales to sustainable organic farming initiatives. In partnership with Conservation International, the program sought to support traditional shade-grown cabruca cacao cultivation in Brazil. Other beneficiaries and supported organizations included the Environmental Working Group, the Organic Trade Association, the Organic Center, and the Organic Farming Research Foundation. These activities extended the brand beyond retail food and seeds into conservation, organic-farming advocacy, and the protection of agricultural traditions. In August 2010, Mars announced that it would close the Seeds of Change Research Farm and Gardens. The company said the closure reflected a strategic shift, while some management functions were to move to Los Angeles. The decision also meant that not all farm employees would retain their positions. A final public tour was held on 14 August 2010. The closure marked the end of the farm as a physical research and public-education site, although the Seeds of Change brand and its organic-food activities remained associated with Mars. The available reference material does not establish a complete chronology of later product launches, leadership appointments, ownership changes, or current operating locations. Seeds of Change is therefore documented primarily through its founding as an organic seed company, its expansion into packaged foods, its acquisition by Mars, its research farm, its 1% sustainability commitment, and the 2010 closure of that farm.
- 2010
Research farm closes
[1]Mars announces the closure of the Seeds of Change Research Farm and the relocation of some management functions to Los Angeles.
- 1996
Research farm moves near Santa Fe
[1]The research farm moves to a site closer to the company's Santa Fe offices, where it maintains more than 1,000 plant varieties across approximately six acres.
- 1995
Acquisition by Mars
[1]Mars, Incorporated acquires Seeds of Change, which becomes a Mars subsidiary.
- 1989
Seeds of Change is founded
[1]Gabriel Howearth and Kenny Ausubel establish Seeds of Change as an organic seed company.
- 1989
Research farm begins in New Mexico
[1]Gabriel Howearth establishes the Seeds of Change Research Farm and Gardens in Gila, New Mexico.
Products and positioning
An organic food and seed brand positioned around organic cultivation, crop biodiversity, sustainable farming, and support for environmental and agricultural initiatives.
Seeds · 1989
Organic seeds
Organic seed varieties were the company's original and defining business. Seeds of Change specialized in seeds for organically managed cultivation and became associated with preserving crop diversity and offering a broad range of plant varieties. Its research-farm activities reinforced this identity by maintaining more than 1,000 varieties of plants and demonstrating organic growing practices.
Packaged foods
Organic pasta sauces
Seeds of Change expanded from seeds into processed organic foods, including pasta sauces. These products brought the brand's organic positioning into a conventional packaged-food format and formed part of its consumer-facing food portfolio under Mars ownership. The available reference material does not specify the complete range, formulas, or current availability.
Packaged foods
Organic salad dressings
Organic salad dressings were among the processed food products associated with Seeds of Change. The line extended the company's organic-food proposition beyond seeds and sauces into a ready-to-use pantry product. Detailed product histories and current assortment information are not established in the supplied sources.
Marketing campaigns
- Seeds of Change 1% Fund
United States · Brazil
Seeds of Change committed 1% of net sales to sustainable organic farming initiatives. Through the program, including work with Conservation International, the brand supported traditional shade-grown cabruca cacao cultivation in Brazil and organizations connected with organic farming and environmental advocacy.
Outcome. The fund supported conservation and organic-agriculture initiatives, although the supplied sources do not provide quantified outcomes.
Brand decisions
2010
Closure of the research farmStrategyBackground
Mars announced a strategic shift affecting the Seeds of Change Research Farm and Gardens in New Mexico.
Action taken
Mars closed the farm and moved some management activities to Los Angeles.
Aftermath
The farm ceased operating as a research and public-tour site, and not all employees were expected to retain their jobs. A final tour was held in August 2010.
1995
Mars acquires Seeds of ChangeM&ABackground
Seeds of Change had developed from an organic seed specialist into a business that also sold packaged organic foods.
Action taken
Mars, Incorporated acquired the company and operated it as a subsidiary.
Aftermath
The Seeds of Change name and organic-food and seed identity continued within the Mars corporate portfolio.
Recent events
- 2010
Mars announces closure of Seeds of Change Research Farm[1]
Other · Leadership change
Mars announced that the Seeds of Change Research Farm and Gardens would close in August 2010 and that some management activities would move to Los Angeles. A company spokesperson described the decision as a strategic shift, and not all farm employees were expected to retain their jobs.
- 2010
Final public tour held at Seeds of Change Research Farm[1]
Other
The research farm provided a final public tour in August 2010 before its closure.
Sources2 sources
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