ScottsMiracle-Gro's Su Lok (3rd from left) presents a grant check to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa (center) at the Los Angeles edible garden project. Cynthia Ruiz, chair of LA's Board of Public Works (2nd from right), and Great American Cleanup Managing Director Gail Cunningham (far right) join in the celebration.
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The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company "Give Back to Gro" Edible Community Gardens
The ScottsMiracle-Gro Company, together with Keep America Beautiful, Plant A Row for the Hungry, the National Gardening Association, Columbus, Ohio's Franklin Park Conservatory and the Garden Writers Association launched edible community gardens in seven cities across the country, impressing upon individuals the need to harvest local produce and foster opportunities for youth involvement in green activities.
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NASCAR racing star Carl Edwards (2nd from right) joins in on the Charlotte project.
A group of teenagers help get the Coleman Park Community Center garden off the ground in West Palm Beach, Fla.
A ScottsMiracle-Gro celebration event took place at the company's headquarters in Marysville, Ohio.
Members of Martin Luther King Jr. High School Eco Force Club help with the DeKalb Memorial Park Community Garden in Atlanta.
You can never be too young to start gardening, as these students from the RE Baker Elementary School demonstrate.
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The ScottsMiracle-Gro Company established the gardens in Los Angeles; Houston; West Palm Beach, Fla.; Bentonville, Ark.; Atlanta; Bronx, N.Y.; and Charlotte, N.C. to strengthen bonds between community members, educate individuals about the importance of growing fresh produce and provide hunger relief for those in need. A host of volunteers, city officials, and ScottsMiracle-Gro employees came to recognize the impact the community plots will have on their neighborhoods at opening dedication ceremonies.
The ScottsMiracle-Gro Garden Outreach program have enhanced neighborhoods by teaching children and adults about the benefits of community gardening. Students, in particular, have enjoyed planting fruit and vegetable gardens that are sustainable in different seasons and climates. This year, in fact, a special emphasis was placed on acknowledging student volunteers in the “Give Back to Gro Youth Gardener Award,” an honor bestowed among students who have demonstrated a keen environmental awareness in their schools and communities.
On another level, the gardens have been instrumental in giving communities access to fresh produce. In this difficult economic climate, many lower income residents often do not have the means to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. The edible gardens have provided sustainable alternatives for communities that are now producing their own food at lower costs or planting extra plots for Americans who go hungry each day.
In 2009, five edible community gardens were planted in Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Washington, D.C. and Chicago. This year, the "Give Back to Gro" program was expanded to include seven more gardens. Some of the highlights from this year’s community garden program included:
West Palm Beach: A new community garden was opened at the Coleman Park Community Center. Mayor Lois Frankel addressed visitors who attended the dedication ceremony, noting, “By bringing both a uniting and practical approach to green space preservation and use, community gardening is the perfect complement to an area already focused on revitalization.” Local residents helped to install vegetable and garden beds, and students had the opportunity to take part in hands-on educational classes. Produce from the garden will go to a local café and soup kitchen, underscoring one of the guiding principles of the gardens: giving to the hungry.
Bentonville: Over 600 area students spent the day planting fruit and vegetable plants in late April. The dedication of the RE Baker Elementary School Community Garden was observed by residents, who enjoyed a host of activities that included learning about butterflies and combating litter.
Atlanta: The DeKalb Memorial Park Community Garden brought together residents and students from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Martin Luther King Jr. High School Eco Force Club. DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis recognized, “This is a unique and valuable initiative that fosters community service and student awareness, while at the same time contributing to the needs of others.”
New York: In the Bronx, community gardeners at the Bronx Botanical Garden were given “Get Growing” materials, which included gardening products from The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. A young student, Jada Nicole Young, was honored for her interest in and dedication to teaching others about community gardening. Young also planted seeds at the Padre Plaza Success Garden’s greenhouse, where she was among a number of gardeners who worked to restore a garden and organize a weekly
farmers' market.
Charlotte: Representatives from Keep Mecklenburg Beautiful of Charlotte, N.C., were present at the dedication ceremony of the Little
Sugar Creek Greenway Community Garden where citizens learned of the benefits of community gardening and growing their own produce. NASCAR driver Carl Edwards spoke to attendees while students learned about gardening in workshops throughout the day.
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company
Give Back to Gro edible gardens rally individuals of all walks of life together around sustainability, healthy eating, and environmental education. The gardens also foster a deeper sense of pride for the community among individuals, a greater appreciation for the role that volunteerism plays within neighborhoods, and a lasting acknowledgement of just how little it takes to give back.
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