Cultivating The Gommunity

Orchard Supply Hardr,i arc. San .losc. Ca.. was nanted "thc lcadin-c pionccr in school gardens" b1-'thc Clalilirrnia Dcpaltment of Education. carnins thc chain a letter of support ancl apprccirition trclm Califbrnia First l-acly Mirria Shriver.

OSH's 86 stores were linkecl wilh local elementarl' schools thlouglror.rt California. u'hich cach lcccivcrl S 1000 store crecl its 1'ol gulclcning tools and supplies.

OSH enrplolees'uiurkccl rrith plr'ents ancl tcachcrs to crclrtc scliool gar dens that hclpcd tcach nrath. [riokrg1,. chenristrv. ancl pro.jcct nranirgcnrclrt to nrore than -+0.(XX) stuclcnts in l(X)7.

Accorcl ing to OSH c.c.o. Rob Lynch. "This canrpaign nas both a lab<lr of lovc ancl an cxlrcrinrcnt to lcarn how l conlpan) likc OSH coLrld nrakc substantivc intprr)\'cltlcltts tc) callv chilclhoocl eclucation. givin-e cle'rrcntary students. their parents. ancl tcachcrs thc tools to put gardening into thc acadcrric rnix."

"We're known as the 'answer peo- plc' lirr rurrlcning ancl nrcnt pro.jccts." l-)'nch horrrc irnprovc continLrccl. "so orr l stui't's involvement witl'r thc schools and their students cnablccl thcnr to tirke their experti\r- orrt ol'tlrc stores ancl into tl-rc conrnrunitv. r.rurk ing a leal diffcrcncc in thousarrcls ol kicls' lir es."