Cape resident creates HarvestPak to help people make their gardens grow
A 40-year Cape resident who earned her green thumb the hard way has launched a business to help new gardeners grow.
“I have been growing vegetables in backyards and raised beds for about 15 years,” said Michelle Shore, the co-owner of HarvestPak. “Most of what I know about gardening came through hands on experience, trial, and error, and plenty of mistakes along the way. My husband, Jeff, and I started HarvestPak together, and we operate the business here in Cape Coral.”
The woman-owned, veteran-connected, vegetable seed subscription and garden-planning company, can help people across the country become more confident gardeners regardless of the space available.
“You do not need a large property or years of experience to grow food. Sometimes you just need the right seeds for where you live, clear instructions and someone willing to help when things do not go according to plan,” Shore said.
She said with the plethora of information available at people’s fingertips online, they often do not know which advice applies to their climate, or what they should plant at different times of the year.
“Seed packets also tend to give very general instructions that do not work equally well in every part of the country,” Shore said.
Rather than guessing what seeds might grow in someone’s area, Shore said HarvestPak selects seeds based on the subscriber’s growing zone and the time of year.
“We also wanted customers to have someone they could actually contact when seeds do not germinate, pests show up or something just does not look right,” she said.
The couple launched their business in December 2025 after spending a great deal of time researching planting schedules, finding quality seeds, and developing the growing resources that accompany each shipment.
“Each shipment includes five varieties of vegetable, herb or fruit seeds selected for the customer’s USDA growing zone and the current planting season,” Shore said.
All of the seeds are heirloom varieties because they are often cultivated and preserved for flavor rather than appearance, long shelf-life, or commercial shipping. Most of the seeds also have a long history of being passed down through generations, giving gardeners a chance to grow varieties they may not find on a typical store shelf.
In addition, subscribers also will receive access to the HarvestPak gardening app, which includes a personalized planting calendar, garden planner, seed inventory, care guides, harvest tracking, a gardening community, and help identifying plant problems.
“We also offer the Harvest Hotline, where subscribers can contact a real gardener when they need personal help,” Shore said. “Our goal is not simply to mail someone seeds. We want to help people know what to plant, when to plant it and what to do when something goes wrong.”
There are monthly, three-month, and six-month plans, ranging from $25 to $125 with free shipping.
“The three- and six-month plans are prepaid one-time purchases. Customers receive one HarvestPak shipment each month for the length of the plan,” she said. “We do not currently sell individual seed packets because HarvestPak is designed as a complete growing service, with seeds selected for the customer’s location and season, plus planning tools and personal support.”
Shore’s long-term goal for HarvestPak is to grow it into a trusted, well-known gardening subscription company — without losing that personal support.
“We want to help more people grow at least some of their own food, even if they only have a small backyard, raised bed, patio or balcony,” Shore said.
Those goals also include expanding HarvestPak’s community work by donating seeds and age-appropriate gardening resources to schools.
“Gardening teaches children where food comes from, gives them practical skills and can help create a lifelong interest in growing and caring for the environment,” she said.
Shore said they do not want HarvestPak to become just another seed company, so they plan to continue expanding their app, growing resources and support available to its subscribers.
“We want it to be a place where new gardeners feel comfortable asking questions and know they are receiving practical, honest help,” she said.
For more information, visit harvestpak.com.