Marshfield couple in 3rd year of spreading sunflower seeds for Ukraine

Husband and wife Dale and Janet Newton are almost finished distributing sunflower seeds this season for their homegrown solidarity initiative, Vermont Plants Sunflowers for Ukraine , which they started more than two years ago to show support for Ukrainians after Russia’s invasion.

They selected the sunflower both because it is the country’s national flower and because it has a long symbolic history in the country as a message of peace .

This spring is the third year that they’ve recruited businesses, libraries and schools across the state to carry free sunflower seeds in their community action group’s personalized packaging that individuals can grab and plant in solidarity with Ukraine.

“We said, we’ve got to do something,” Dale Newton said of the couple’s inspiration for the project, which began shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

“Come late summer and fall, our message of multi-colored sunflowers splashed against our blue Vermont sky will give us all hope and inspiration for positive action. Every seed planted will be a statement of solidarity,” reads the group’s mission statement .

There are enough participating organizations who support the initiative that Vermont Plants Sunflowers for Ukraine has distributed over 1 million seeds this spring.

“That sounds impressive. But you know, there are thousands of seeds per pound,” Newton said.

Last year, they distributed roughly 1 million seeds, almost double what they gave out in their first year. “Our big success this year is we’ve more than doubled the number of (participating) libraries,” Newton noted.

Seeds can be picked up at the organizations that Vermont Plants Sunflowers for Ukraine has identified in a list of 2024 supporters .

Some of their seeds have even made their way to Ukraine through a connection to a person who is Ukrainian and lives in Vermont. “He has sent our stuff to friends and family in Ukraine because you know, I kind of wanted to know, that somebody knew, that somebody cared,” Newton said.

And now, they’re looking to branch out by expanding the effort to Washington D.C. On Friday morning, Dale was busy preparing packets of sunflower seeds and reaching out to U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch, Congresswoman Becca Balint, and first lady Jill Biden to inquire about the possibility of his solidarity sunflowers being planted at the White House.

“I mean, you know, like, with Michelle Obama, she was famous for doing the gardening with kids at the White House … so I know it’s possible,” Newton said. “It’s like … how do you reach out and actually get a message to somebody like that?”

Read the story on VTDigger here: Marshfield couple in 3rd year of spreading sunflower seeds for Ukraine .