April 2023 - 35

MARKETING
to write back and say, 'We work
with independent retailers and
our goal is to drive traffic to them,
so the program is not available
through those stores. But I have
a local garden center right down
the road and this is where you
should go.' And then hopefully
we were able to take somebody
who was a Home Depot or a
Lowe's shopper and push them
inside that garden center door. "
Bonsey says about 200
schools participated in 2022,
and he is planning for 300 this
year. While the program began
locally in the New England
area, it's since taken off
around the country.
A thank-you card for compost donated to a
participating school.
The Growing Good program helps schools
and other organizations cultivate a love
of gardening.
By Teresa McPherson
F
or most gardeners, a big part of gardening is sharing
with others. For Coast of Maine Organic Products,
it's about sharing the love of gardening with the
next generation. The company created its Growing Good
program to help schools and other organizations instill
the gardening bug in younger generations.
Garden centers are often approached by schools and
local organizations to donate product; Cameron Bonsey,
vice president of marketing at Coast of Maine, saw how
they could help as a company.
" Especially when we were smaller, we would tell garden
centers that the garden coordinator at a local school was
going to stop by and pick up Coast of Maine soil at their
store, and that we'd credit their account, " Bonsey says.
" The idea was that we would support the schools and
we would drive traffic to the local garden centers - and
take some of the burden off people expecting them to
donate to certain causes. That way, we could all work on a
partnership and educate kids and get new gardeners. "
The program started about 10 years ago and was given
the name Growing Good around 2018.
How It Works
Today, schools or other organizations fill out a form on
the Coast of Maine website to apply to participate in
the program.
" We ask them where they shop, and there are times
when they come back and say Home Depot or Lowe's or
some other big box store, and it's satisfying to be able
" We've started promoting the program on our social
media, so this year's taken off - it's very satisfying. Ten
bags of living soil can really help with soil fertility while
saving the school money. We have never turned a program
down and have donated more depending on the project.
" We talk about schools, and that's what our focus is,
but I can tell you that I get people to contact us and I say,
'Listen, this program was designed for schools, but go
apply. We'll get you set up.' "
Sue Kelley of Reynolds Farms Nurseries in Norwalk,
Connecticut, says the social media promotions have
helped her store. She says they encourage participants to
tag both the store and Coast of Maine in any mentions of
the project.
" This program has helped us to develop stronger
relationships with our customers, " she says.
Growing Future Gardeners
To get kids involved in gardening, you have to get your
(and their) hands dirty.
" When they see something grow in a garden, it can
really imprint on them at a young age and they become
lifetime gardeners, " Bonsey says. " That's what you hope. "
Cameron Bonsey says about
200 schools participated in
the Growing Good program
in 2022, and he is planning
for 300 this year.
April 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2023
