City Leaders Partner With ScottsMiracle-Gro and The U.S. Conference of Mayors to Create Urban Agriculture Education Program
HARTFORD, Conn., May 6, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hartford-based non-profit KNOX, Inc. received a grant to fund the expansion of its community garden and horticulture education programs. The expanded area will be known as the Hartford Grown Headquarters, an all-inclusive space where residents can participate in urban agriculture, environmental education programs and learn about horticulture best practices. The expansion is supported by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company's and The U.S. Conference of Mayors' national GRO1000 gardens and green spaces program.
GRO1000 is ScottsMiracle-Gro's commitment to support the creation of more than 1,000 community gardens and green spaces in the U.S., Canada and Europe by 2018, in conjunction with its 150th anniversary. To date, hundreds of community projects have received GRO1000 funding.
A partnership with the City of Hartford, the Hartford Grown Headquarters will serve as a demonstration and teaching tool for area residents to learn about gardening and nutrition. The centerpiece of the headquarters will be an urban farm where community gardeners can learn and practice micro-farming. The project will also help beautify and revitalize the historic Franklin Avenue district in Hartford. The expansion will include floral planters and tree plantings along the city's iconic Franklin Avenue, educational programs and public events and activities.
"The City Hartford, with significant help from KNOX, has made great strides in providing gardening opportunities throughout the community. Urban agriculture gives Hartford residents access to healthy, affordable foods and makes them the source of their own economic empowerment and food security. This is a true achievement, and I want to thank the U.S. Conference of Mayors and ScottsMiracle-Gro for investing in the future of Hartford's green economy," said Mayor Pedro E. Segarra.
The GRO1000 Hartford event at KNOX, INC. kicks off at 12 p.m. on May 6 at 75 Laurel Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06106. Area residents and youth will join volunteers, including ScottsMiracle-Gro associates, city officials, and GRO1000 national and local partners, in garden-related educational activities. In addition, one student from Hartford will be presented with the ScottsMiracle-Gro Give Back To Gro Youth Gardener Award.
"Supporting urban agriculture is an important piece of the GRO1000 program," said Mike Carbonara, President, North American Regions, ScottsMiracle-Gro. "By expanding the horticulture education and training programs in the City of Hartford, we hope to introduce more of its residents to the benefits of community gardens and green spaces."
GRO1000 Hartford was made possible through the combined efforts of local partners, including the City of Hartford and KNOX, Inc., and national partners including The U.S. Conference of Mayors, ScottsMiracle-Gro, Plant A Row for the Hungry, the National Gardening Association, the Garden Writers Association, and Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The HartfordGRO1000 event is one of several public installation events being held in the U.S., Canada and Europe in 2015. For more information, visit www.GRO1000.com and follow ScottsMiracle-Gro on Twitter at twitter.com/Scotts_MGro.
About ScottsMiracle-Gro
With more than $2.8 billion in worldwide sales, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care. The Company's brands are the most recognized in the industry. In the U.S., the Company's Scotts®, Miracle-Gro® and Ortho® brands are market-leading in their categories, as is the consumer Roundup® brand, which is marketed in North America and most of Europe exclusively by Scotts and owned by Monsanto. In the U.S., we operate Scotts LawnService®, the second largest residential lawn care service business. In Europe, the Company's brands include Weedol®, Pathclear®, Evergreen®, Levington®, Miracle-Gro®, KB®, Fertiligène® and Substral®. For additional information, visit us at www.scotts.com.
About the U.S. Conference of Mayors
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,210 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Find us at usmayors.org, on facebook.com/usmayors, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors.
About the Hartford Grown Headquarters
Ensuring residents are represented in both the supply and demand of the local food movement, Hartford Grown Headquarters will develop a beginner urban farm for KNOX's community gardeners to help them scale up into micro-entrepreneurs. At the same time, KNOX will redesign its grounds, greenhouses, and offices on Laurel Street as part of an expansion to make its headquarters a central resource of agricultural and horticultural education for all. Seed funding for the project is provided by the Aetna Foundation, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, The ScottsMiracle-Gro Company, and the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.
CONTACT: Su Lok
ScottsMiracle-Gro
su.lok@scotts.com
937-578-5169 (office)
937-309-5616 (mobile)
Maribel La LuzCity of Hartford
p. (860) 757-9731
c. (860) 539-5485
laluz@hartford.gov
Scotts Miracle-Gro Company
