Though she says she’s not a native South Carolinian, Mary Hipp (‘12) has deep roots in the state. Her parents—Liberty Fellowship co-founders Hayne and Anna Kate Hipp—moved the family to South Carolina in 1970 when her father returned to work for the family’s business, Liberty Life Insurance Company in Greenville.
“So, I grew up in Greenville, but technically I am not a native South Carolinian. I was born in San Francisco,” Mary said.
After college, Mary returned to San Francisco to pursue an advanced degree and a career in the culinary arts. For ten years, she thrived in the food world before feeling pulled back to the Southeast in 2005 to consider her next move. She thought it would be temporary. It wasn’t.
Back in Greenville, Mary began volunteering with local nonprofits—and quickly uncovered a hidden strength.
“I discovered I had a skillset I didn’t realize I had. Nonprofits are often dealing with urgent, important problems—and I found I was good at solving them.”
In 2010, Mary was selected to join the Liberty Fellowship Class of 2012—a moment she describes as both surprising and humbling.
“I automatically assumed that because I was the daughter of the founders, I wouldn’t be considered. I was honored to be selected, and the experience with my classmates was truly transformational,” Mary said.
At the time, Mary was exploring her place in the nonprofit world, searching for a way to combine her passions: food, community, and meaningful impact.
In 2011, Greenville County Schools were working to improve the quality of their school meals in response to changing federal nutrition guidelines. Gone were the days when ketchup and fries counted as two servings of vegetables. The district aimed to serve healthier, whole foods with less frying and processed ingredients.
Mary joined forces with local partner Ron Jones to help implement those changes—starting with the people behind the meals: the food service staff.
“We developed a training program covering knife skills, nutrition, and menu planning—and delivered it over three years to the entire Greenville County Schools food service staff during summer breaks,” she said.
This effort sparked a realization. There was a disconnect between local growers and local institutions. Mary saw an opportunity.
We have growers, and we have end users. But there was nothing connecting them. What if we could build that infrastructure here in the Upstate?”
Enter Mary’s Liberty Fellowship Venture: Feed & Seed, a nonprofit committed to building more efficient food system in Upstate South Carolina. Its mission is twofold:
Local Farmers like Billy Holden of JBO Ranch in Greenville, South Carolina, sometimes struggle to sell their produce. This struggle was even more severe during the COVID-19 pandemic when markets shut down and supply chains disrupted.
“We were throwing a lot out,” said Billy. “It was a struggle.”
Small farms must also meet strict food safety and traceability requirements, but many can’t afford the resources needed for certification.
“Feed & Seed holds those certifications, so farmers can focus on growing food while we handle distribution logistics,” said Mary.
Feed & Seed provides critical infrastructure, helping farmers like Billy distribute 90–95% of their crops—even during the height of the pandemic.
A food desert means limited access to fresh food. In urban areas, that means being one mile from a grocery store. In rural areas, that means five miles. That distance makes it hard for families to buy produce,” said Mary Hipp.
Strategically located in ZIP code 29611—the most food-insecure area in Greenville County— Feed & Seed became the first and only Healthy Bucks-certified retail grocery store in South Carolina.[1] Shoppers using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP EBT) can turn $5 into $20 worth of fresh produce through the program—dramatically increasing access to nutritious food.[2]
Additional initiatives like Crop Box subscriptions and FoodShare further expand access by bringing fresh produce directly to the customer.
One of Feed & Seed’s most impactful partnerships is with local schools, including Pickens County School District, which has a dedicated budget for fresh produce.
Working with Mary and Feed & Seed has been a game-changer,” said Jennafer Stevenson of Pickens County Schools. “They handle the cooking and flash-freezing. We just heat and serve. Our kids love the meals, and I’m incredibly grateful.”
By connecting local farms with school cafeterias, Feed & Seed delivers high-quality, locally sourced meals to students—while supporting farmers and promoting better health outcomes.
Feed & Seed started in 2012 as a bold idea from a Liberty Fellow. Today, it’s a thriving nonprofit that connects farmers, families, and institutions through a more efficient local food system.
“I came in with a small idea,” Mary says. “But with the Liberty Fellowship Network, a lot of help, and plenty of pivoting, we built Feed & Seed into what it is today.”
Feed & Seed is more than a distribution hub—it’s a blueprint for how innovation, leadership, and collaboration can solve big problems and nourish entire communities.
To learn more about Feed & Seed, visit feedandseedsc.com.
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[1] Feed and Seed is now one of two Healthy-Bucks-certified retail grocery stores in South Carolina.
[2] The Feed and Seed Retail Market is temporarily closed as of April 26, 2025 due to the elimination of programs at the United States Department of Agriculture. However, Feed & Seed plans to open a smaller retail operations catering to SNAP EBT and Healthy Bucks while also distributing Crop Box subscriptions.