GWAF Hartford PR - Garden Writers Association

Immediate News Release
MAYOR PEDRO E. SEGARRA EXPANDS HARTFORD GROWN HEADQUARTERS WITH
SUPPORT FROM GRO1000 GARDEN AND GREEN SPACE PROGRAM
City leaders partner with ScottsMiracle-Gro and The U.S. Conference of Mayors
to create urban agriculture education program
Hartford, CT (May 6, 2015) – 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
th
green spaces in the U.S., Canada and Europe by 2018, in conjunction with its 150 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 Hartford GRO1000 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.
GWA Foundation, 7809 FM 179, Shallowater, TX 79363
TEL: 806.832.1870 / Fax: 806.832.5244 / PAR@gardenwriters.org
About the GWA—The association for Garden Communicators
GWA is the national, nonprofit association of writers, editors, photographers, bloggers, radio/TV broadcasters and
others involved in communicating information to the home gardening public. GWA also created the Plant A Row
for the Hungry campaign to encourage home gardeners to plant an extra row of produce to contribute to a local
food bank or soup kitchen to feed the hungry in local communities. PAR has raised over 20 MILLION pounds of
produce in 20 years. For more information, visit www.gardenwriters.org or
www.facebook.com/PlantARowfortheHungry
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. 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.
Contact:
Carol Ledbetter
Plant A Row for the Hungry
PAR@gardenwriters.org
877-492-2727
Su Lok
ScottsMiracle-Gro
su.lok@scotts.com
937-578-5169 (office)
937-309-5616 (mobile)
Maribel La Luz
City of Hartford
p. (860) 757-9731
c. (860) 539-5485
laluz@hartford.gov
GWA Foundation, 7809 FM 179, Shallowater, TX 79363
TEL: 806.832.1870 / Fax: 806.832.5244 / PAR@gardenwriters.org