So Nice and Evergreen collaborate to support the creation of organic food gardens and encourage Canadian schools and families to join the movement
TORONTO, Oct. 14, 2014 /CNW/ - A new partnership and organic initiative officially launched today by So Nice, a Canadian brand of organic dairy alternative beverages, and Evergreen, a national not-for-profit, is setting out to provide Canadian schools with the resources and inspiration to start their very own organic food gardens. The Planting an Organic Future initiative hopes to engage schools across Canada in organic food gardening as a way to educate and inspire the next generation of environmental champions.
Planting an Organic Future will support Evergreen in its groundbreaking work of bringing green spaces and outdoor classrooms to Canadian schools, extending it to the creation of organic food spaces right on school grounds. The project is supported by research which shows that engaging children in gardening has many benefits, including increased likelihood to eat fruits and vegetables, interpersonal relationship skills, ability to work in groups, improved attitudes towards learning and development of environmental stewardship attitudes.
As a not-for-profit dedicated to unleashing the power of people to enact positive change and restore the natural health of their communities, Evergreen is an ideal partner for So Nice, Canada's leading brand of organic dairy-alternative beverages with a deep commitment to sustainability. Together, the two organizations are working to drive awareness of the benefits of giving students hands-on opportunities to grow organic food, and are working to take the complexity out of starting a school-ground organic food garden by offering guides, support and funding for the establishment and maintenance of organic food gardens in Canadian schools.
"Community gardening is a growing movement in Canada's urban centres and what better way to bring school communities together than to create something that benefits everyone," said Cam Collyer, Director of Children's Programs, Evergreen. "These organic spaces will teach children about nutrition, organic gardening, sustainability and environmental stewardship. Through our extensive work with children and schools, we believe that those are lessons that last a lifetime."
Two showcase gardens located in Toronto at the Evergreen Brick Works Children's Garden and in Montreal at the Royal Vale School, serve as the first seeds to what So Nice and Evergreen hope will be a ripple effect of organic food school gardens sprouting all over Canada. The partnership not only encourages children to embrace organic food, respect and protect the environment, but to also rally support from parents and the community. Educators, parents and community members are encouraged to visit www.sonice.ca and learn how to start their own organic food gardens.
"We're incredibly excited to partner with Evergreen to provide Canada's youth with an opportunity to learn about the role they can play in protecting the environment and growing organic food," said Betty Finlayson, Marketing Manager, So Nice. "Through this partnership, we want to build on the work Evergreen does to green school grounds and immerse children in these organic spaces to develop their love of food, the environment and team work."
With a goal to raise $35,000 in 2015, a portion of the sales from So Nice products will be used to support the expansion and maintenance of organic food gardens on school grounds.
About So Nice
So Nice is Canada's leading brand of organic non-dairy beverages and is manufactured by Earth's Own Food Company Inc., in Burnaby, BC. So Nice only uses certified organic, non-GMO whole soybeans and almonds in their products, and proudly displays the Canada Organic logo on its products.
About Evergreen
Evergreen is a national not-for-profit that has been working to restore the connection between Canada's cities and the natural environment. With four program areas, Evergreen builds partnerships with diverse groups and engages key influencers and the public to inspire local action and create sustainable urban development. Since 1991, Evergreen has planted more than 1.5 million trees, wildflowers and native plants, helped connect more than one million Canadian youth to nature and greened more than 3,000 school grounds. Evergreen is driven by a belief in the power of people to enact positive change to restore the natural health of their communities.
SOURCE: So Nice
Alexa Znidarec, Argyle Communications, 416-968-7311, ext. 258, [email protected]
Share this article