Don't give a cow. Give seeds

Holiday gift season. Giving a cow is still a popular program, but I wish there was some programs where you can give vegetable seeds or fruit trees to people who need them.

http://www.heifer.org/
I don't necessarily think giving a cow, chickens or a goat is bad idea considering livestock can add foods to diet of those people as long as the environment is right.  When you give a cow or sheep, there must be grass growing naturally.  or when you give chickens, there must be enough feeds naturally obtained from the wild area. 

Why not Cow, sheep or goat?
Grazing animals require large pasture comparing to available garden space.  Unless there is large pasture area for animals to graze, it is not very desirable.  I have 4 sheep and they do not eat any grain feeds although they like them.  I share some of my crackers or granola sometimes, but they are on their own eating grass most of the time.  when grass is abundant and there is no garden space conflict, it is quite a good help to have livestock that can actually keep your weeds down and give you some milk and also share some happy moments, but if people are starving, perhaps it's much better to grow some vegetables to eat.
Also, cows don't produce milk all the time.  They have to have offspring before they start producing milk and it doesn't last forever either.




Why not chickens?
I have a difficult time keeping chickens happy in a limited area.  Mostly we feed them kitchen waste, but they are hungry all the time and don't produce eggs much.  I found out that keeping our chickens free range and still producing eggs is about 3-4 chickens max with about 500 sq ft.  I'm pretty sure that there are certain high protein vegetation that can feed chickens more naturally, but if we have access to that much of rich soil, I would rather plant vegetables. 
Also chickens can be devastating to gardens.  unless it's fruit orchard or certain crops it is hard to keep them away from destroying the garden space.
 
If people already have nice fruit orchard and garden, they are probably not starving. 

Giving seeds
There are some programs that give seeds, fruit trees or other food sources or even other resources. 
http://www.sustainableharvest.org/

Seeds are very adaptable in new environment.  If we know what grows well in certain environment, giving seed program can be more productive.  Even in desert environment, certain plants grow.  Mr. Fukuoka's seedball restoration project actually took place in desert environment to bring back fertile soil..

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