Jesse Lopez started Seed to Stomach as a sustainable gardening idea in May 2024. A serial entrepreneur who grew up in Tucson, Lopez got his law degree at Yale, then returned to the southwest to help educate people about sustainable food growing practices.
“We are eating toxic foods a lot of the times, we don’t know where a lot of our food comes from; we don’t know where our medicine comes from,” said Lopez.
The sustainability gardening program offers practices, recipes and seed kits that aim to aid those who want to be educated on how to grow their own food from farm to table; or seed to stomach.
“…it is not about us; it’s not about Seed to Stomach. It’s about the person who purchases Seed to Stomach because they become somebody that is better than who they were before they bought it. That’s the goal for us,” said Lopez.
Tuesday the Pima County Small Business Commission held an award ceremony for the 2025 winners. Seed to Stomach won the 2025 best startup/new business award, and afterward Lopez gave a speech honoring this milestone.
“So sitting in a room with peers and other constituents for Pima County and being recognized to this magnitude was huge for us,” said Lopez.
VIEW LARGER Jesse Lopez walks to the podium with his 2025 best startup/new business award in hand.
Courtesy of Pima County
Kelle Maslyn, who is the assistant director of Pima County economic development and a member of the commission, said that there were 106 nominations for the award. Specifically with the 2025 best startup/new business award, Maslyn explained that there were fewer nominations this year, as the requirement calls for the business to be no more than three years old.
“With Seed to Stomach, they have such a great story about how they are making an impact in teaching people how to grow their own food. So it will hopefully end food insecurity for people,” said Maslyn.
Over the past two years, Maslyn has seen an uptick in these small businesses leveraging their own social media after winning the award. For Seed to Stomach, this was no different. CEO Lopez posted pictures and photos on Instagram of the award ceremony, highlighting a big chapter in their business.
“Since [the award ceremony] happened we have had our phone ringing off the hook,” said Lopez.
The science-based company has a team of horticulturists, which is now offering master-gardening certifications free with purchase of the Seed to Stomach booklets.
Lopez explained that before the business even started he had only visited two local gardens in Tucson, not knowing there were twenty more.
“With 22 gardens – each location has about 150-200 plots; why are we not just talking directly to these people?” said Lopez.
Then the sales started coming. Lopez said that the response of their clients since 2024 has increased tenfold. Seed to Stomach has created over 50 non-GMO seed kits for ethical seed saving purposes like jalapeños, lemongrass and six different types of tomatoes.
VIEW LARGER Seed to Stomach seed kits and booklets are laid out on a table.
Courtesy of Jesse Lopez
Lopez stated that Seed to Stomach partnered with Walmart Marketplace and by April of next year will be available at select Target and Home Depot locations.
Lopez is excited to grow and maintain the business for people to be educated in what they are growing, jarring, cooking, and eating. Seed to Stomach also has two new franchising gardens working in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Scottsdale, Arizona.
In 2026, Seed to Stomach will host a Sustainability in Gardening Tech conference for global agriculturalists to share the newest gardening sustainability practices on a larger scale. Lopez said that this is just the beginning.
“We have to continue to work. We can’t take a pause. We patted ourselves on the back, but it’s also time to make sure that more people now have access to this,” concluded Lopez.
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