Growing in Kindness: How ScottsMiracle-Gro Associates GroMoreGood Through the Simple Act of Gardening
By Melissa Bond, Digital Content Manager, ScottsMiracle-Gro
A big part of our culture, and who we are at ScottsMiracle-Gro, revolves around the belief that we can all GroMoreGood for the world and our communities––even from the comfort of our own backyards.
One way our Marysville campus associates have put this idea into action is through our Associate Garden.
Since 2009, our associates have planted raised-bed gardens on campus each spring and have produced over 38,000 pounds of tomatoes, peppers and other fruits and vegetables. Once harvested, all produce is donated to the local Marysville Food Pantry, which services approximately 75 food-insecure families a week and more than 1,200 individuals a month in Union County.
The Associate Garden is, without a doubt, one of the most important associate traditions on our campus. It was created as a training ground for associates to get their hands into the dirt, try out our new innovations, learn first-hand how our products work and experience how Mother Nature impacts our efforts. But even more so, it was a chance for us to do something good for our neighbors.
Like many of our traditions at ScottsMiracle-Gro, this year’s Associate Garden looked a little different than past years. Typically, the garden kicks off with a large planting day celebration for all Marysville associates on our campus. And while we still planted the gardens this year, we implemented COVID-19 precautions and social distancing to ensure everyone’s safety. These measures stayed in place all summer during harvesting, and, fortunately, did not impact our production and harvesting rates.
“Food scarcity–especially fresh produce–has always been a problem in our area,” said Keitha Simpson from the Marysville Food Pantry. “But with the impact of the pandemic, we would have been especially strained this year, had we not received the donations from ScottsMiracle-Gro. Because of the ton of produce the associates donated, we were able to feed close to 300 families every month this summer.”
As many of our associates have shared, it is truly gratifying to see how the simple act of gardening allows us to give back to our community in meaningful ways and help those in need.
At the end of the day, that’s what our work is all about. Giving back and remembering that a little kindness can go a long way, and, sometimes, we need not look further than in our own backyards to do it.
To learn more about our commitment to GroMoreGood, click here.
