Seeds of Change® was founded in 1989 with a revolutionary mission: To make organically grown seeds available to gardeners and farmers, while preserving countless heirloom seed varieties in danger of being lost to the "advances" of modern industrial agriculture.

As we recognized the need to preserve and promote organic seeds, we also saw the opportunity to create organic foods that were inspired by the notion that great taste and sustainability can go hand in hand. And…the Seeds of Change Organic Brand was born.

Chocolate is, occasionally, a weakness of mine. Somehow, it's becoming less and less a weakness as I get tired of it. I decided, though, when Seeds of Change contacted me, to give their chocolate a try anyway. It's USDA organic, and the company is working towards a better life for cocoa farmers and their environments.

The founding mission was noble, but that's not all - Seeds of Change donates a percentage of sales to promote sustainable organic farming initiatives worldwide. Seeds of Change is partnering with Conservation International to work with local cooperatives in Southern Bahia, including the Institute for Social and Environmental Studies of Southern Bahia and the State University of Santa Cruz. The project will aid in redevelopment and expansion of habitats for local plant and animal species. Seeds of Change is also working with the National Confederation of Dominican Cocoa Growers, Inc. to improve the quality of life of cocoa growers and their families.

So you want me to get to the chocolate? Ok, ok. I was sent a few flavors to try - milk chocolate, dark chocolate, dark chocolate with cherries and vanilla, dark chocolate with coconut, and dark chocolate with mango and cashew. The one flavor I wasn't sent, milk chocolate with puffed grains, I hope to try soon, because it may very well be my favorite!

Dark Chocolate with Coconut

This was the first of the flavors I tried. I love the flavor of coconut, but don't normally like the texture. In this case, it blends so well with the chocolate, it didn't bother me. I LOVED this flavor. I was expecting Andrew, my co-taster to love it, too, but he wasn't too fond of this one. It was sweet, but not too sweet, and definitely tasted of coconut, so if you like coconut, you should like this flavor.

Dark Chocolate with Cherries and Vanilla

This sounds super decadent and possibly too sweet, but it wasn't. The flavor of the cherries isn't so strong that it will put off non-sweet lovers... it was just enough where it was... good. Really good. I forgot to mention that I'm also not usually a big fan of dark chocolate, as it's normally too sweet for me, but the dark chocolates by Seeds of Change are just right.

Milk Chocolate

Ahh, milk chocolate. I have to say, of the flavors I tried, this one was my favorite. It's the one I snuck a piece or two of every day until the bar was gone. Creamy, delicious. Some chocolates hurt my throat and leave me wanting water... but this one (and the other flavors, as well) left me not wanting to drink anything because I wanted to savor the flavor. Yummy isn't a strong enough word for this one.

Dark Chocolate with Mango and Cashew

This one seemed really weird to me. Mango in chocolate? I also don't usually like nuts in my chocolate... but I decided I should try it anyway. Pleasantly surprised. It wasn't a weird flavor at all, and the cashews added a nice texture to the chocolate that didn't turn me off the way most nuts in chocolate do.

Dark Chocolate

After Andrew tried the other dark chocolate flavors and wasn't a big fan, I expected him to say the same about this one, but I was wrong. This was his favorite of the flavors we tried, surprisingly, and I caught him sneaking another piece when I wasn't looking. I've noticed with other dark chocolates I've tried that they're sort of... chalky. Maybe that isn't quite the right word, but it's the closest description I can come up with. Seeds of Change dark chocolate was creamy, smooth. Of course, it had to be really good if Andrew loved it.

Happy

So overall, I'm very happy. I'm happy with every flavor, but especially the milk chocolate. I plan on buying this flavor again, and trying the milk chocolate with puffed grains. I think Andrew plans on buying the dark chocolate again.

Seeds of Change chocolate can be purchased online here in packages of 12. It can also be purchased at Whole Foods and "other fine foods stores." Check with your local grocer.

Contest

Seeds of Change is holding a contest where you can win 365 days of their chocolate. Here is the info:

Send us your own homemade video (3 minutes or less), a photo, or written story about what changes you’ve made to save the earth! Entries must be received in good order by July 31, 2009. We’ll review each entry, and pick one Grand Prize winner plus one runner-up. The Grand Prize winner will receive 365 days of Seeds of Change® Organic Chocolate, plus a variety of our other Seeds of Change Organic products. The runner-up will receive a sampling of Seeds of Change Organic Chocolate and our other Seeds of Change Organic products.