The Sower

Spring 2025

The Earth Edition

Planting Trees, Harvesting Hope

For 40 years, Plant With Purpose has been celebrating the earth by addressing the root causes of poverty and environmental degradation. Our dedicated partners and supporters have worked faithfully alongside us, helping communities restore their land through spiritual renewal, community-led savings groups, and of course, planting trees.

In this issue of The Sower, we invite you to learn why trees are so critical to our work and the thriving of God’s creation. Not only do trees provide additional income for participant farmers, but they also bind and enrich the soil, shade and cool the environment, mitigate the effects of natural disasters, and so much more. Each article below is a snapshot of the importance of trees in communities around the world, written by soil experts, program directors, and several US Plant With Purpose staff. We hope that this Sower inspires you to see trees as symbols of hope, restoration, and the brighter future we are creating together.

How Cacao Trees are Transforming Lives in the Dominican Republic

At the end of March, Plant With Purpose hosted a Vision Trip to the Dominican Republic (DR). I, along with several donors and Plant With Purpose U.S. staff, had the privilege of visiting our partners in the DR and seeing the incredible work they’re doing to transform their communities. Just a few hours into our […]

Why Should Churches Care About Trees?

Several years ago, my home church nearly cut down a 60-foot sycamore tree to build a new parking lot. Removing the tree seemed like the obvious choice—more room for families, more space for ministry. But some hesitated. Wasn’t this tree part of our story? Could we build around it instead of removing it? In the end, the church chose to save it, making it a prominent feature of the new campus.

Ethiopian Church Forests: An Ancient Key to Biodiversity

In the past 20 years, Ethiopia has been devastated by deforestation. Extensive agriculture, cattle herding, and increased population pressure, reduced forest cover to just 4.2% by 2000. Since then, the species richness of Ethiopia’s forests has been declining, and the remaining forests are fragmented, impoverished, and have only a fraction of the diversity they once had.

Why Do We Plant Trees?

Farmers who partner with Plant With Purpose have planted 76.6 million trees to date, and are projected to plant another 11 million in fiscal year 2026! But tree planting hasn’t always been our goal. When our CEO Scott Sabin first joined Plant With Purpose as an intern in 1993, he wasn’t particularly interested in planting trees. In fact, tree planting seemed like a distraction from the “real” mission of reducing rural poverty. Today, people new to Plant With Purpose may also wonder: what is the connection between helping people thrive and planting trees? The answer lies in the unique geographies of the watersheds we work in, where trees and livelihoods are inextricably intertwined.

Poverty, Trees, and the Joy of Getting Your Hands Dirty

Kathy Kellogg-Johnson is a longtime supporter of Plant With Purpose and an expert in healthy soil. Her family-owned company, Kellogg Garden Organics, is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year! For an entire century, they have been providing organic soil and products for farmers all across the country. Kathy generously spoke to us about the relationship between people, trees, and healthy soil. Check out her interview below.