In 2011 Scotts Miracle-Gro launched the GRO1000 initiative, demonstrating the company’s commitment to developing gardens, green spaces and to deliver to the communities its involved in. Their goal for the GRO1000 program is to help build 1,000 community gardens and green spaces by 2018. On Friday, June 12 representatives from Scotts Miracle-Gro teamed up with local community members at the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative’s in Detroit to build the new Children’s Sensory Garden, the 644th garden built since the GRO1000 program launched.
The new garden provides Detroit youth an opportunity to experience nature first hand, serving as an outdoor classroom. It is yet another example of the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative using agriculture as a platform to promote education and values. The project has been a long time coming for the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative as they began campaigning for a refurbishment to this garden back in December of 2014.
Tyson Gersh, the organization’s president, went out to Pasadena, CA for the 2015 Tournament of Roses to meet and consult with TV personality and DIY expert Ty Pennington on their project. During his trip Gersh also rode the award-winning “Life Starts Here” Miracle-Gro float in the 2015 Rose Parade® while campaigning for votes to bring the $40,000 grant to Detroit. The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative was announced as the GRO1000 People’s Choice Community Garden Grant winner in February.
According to Su Lok, Director, Corporate and Community Partnerships at ScottsMiracle-Gro, “when people come together in a garden, or gather on a green space, something good happens and the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative’s Children’s Sensory Garden is a perfect example of this.”
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