Growing Smiles Fundraising - Blog #fun

Feature Friday: Photo Contest

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 10:15:00 -0700

Snapping moments that will live forever.

You may have heard us say "don't forget to take photos"! Or have seen photos on our social media of schools, and teams.

But why?

Here at Growing Smiles we are all about: you guessed it! Smiles!

With that being said we often don't get to see that moment when the plant owner and plant unite.

To see how the plants are incorporated into daily life, and the excitement it brings.

To see children involved in helping and passing out the plants to their friends, neighbours and family.

That is why we created The Photo Contest.

It's simple really, snap pictures during deliver day, handing them out, once the plants are home and settled in, and send them to us for a chance for your group to win a cash prize!

Who doesn't love taking pictures? This is a way to show of your groups hard work and give you a chance to win $250 towards your profit. Why wouldn't you do it?

You can send your photos to our email: info@growingsmilesfundraising.com

The (Spring) Plant Process

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 12:27:57 -0800

From Cuttings to Your Garden

Click Here To See A Video Walkthrough Of Cuttings!!

Have you been wondering how we grow our plants? Did you know that not all plants are grown from seeds? That’s right, we can also grow plants from cuttings too!

CUTTINGS

What is a cutting? When certain plants are fully grown, we cut small pieces off that can be used to start a new plant. These small pieces of plants are referred to as “cuttings” and need to be nurtured to grow new plants.

Starting in January each year, we receive boxes of cuttings from all over North and South America. These boxes need to be opened, counted, and sorted right away to prepare them for planting. This is very important as every single plant has a specific pot and mix that it belongs to. Each individual cutting will be stuck into a soil pod that is part of a tray.

The trays of freshly-planted cuttings are put onto special racks in the greenhouse where they get watered by an overhead misting machine every 10 minutes. This ensures that the cuttings don’t dry out before they have the chance to be properly rooted. Once they have roots, the baby plants can get planted up into larger pots.

Click Here To See A Video Walkthrough Of Seeding!

SEEDS

Almost all our herbs and vegetables are grown from seeds that we plant ourselves.

We use hand-fed seeding machines to drop the seeds into place on a tray of soil. These trays move on a conveyer belt that adds the appropriate amount of soil, fertilizer, and water for each pot. Some trays can hold up to 250 seeds at a time! The trays are then transferred onto carts that are rolled into the germination chambers.

Depending on the plant, they may remain in the germination chamber for two to five days. The germination chamber controls the temperature and humidity to ensure that the seeds have optimal conditions to sprout.

After germination they can then go into their temperature specific zones in the greenhouse. Many plants will be seeded right into the pot they will be shipped to you in, but others may need to be planted up into larger pots.

TO YOU

After the plants have taken root, and been planted up into their correct pot size, they go to a greenhouse for the remainder of their growth period. Our planning team is responsible for planning out the timeline for every single seed and cutting we receive. Before we receive the supplies, they already know when/where the plants will be stored and grown - it’s a lot of work!

After arriving in the greenhouse, the plants are cared for by our growing teams until they are ready to be shipped. Greenhouse staff pick-up plants based on the orders we print, and load them onto carts that get delivered to our shipping warehouse. From the warehouse they get loaded onto trucks and transported to its destination. That’s you!

Dirt is Not Soil (and other fun facts)

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 16:21:58 -0800

Dirt is not Soil.

Although many of us may use the words dirt and soil interchangeably, they are not the same thing. Dirt is often made of clay, sand, silt, and rocks, with no beneficial nutrients or microbes. When you add water to dirt it doesn’t easily clump together. We cannot grow plants with dirt.

When soil becomes displaced we call it dirt. Therefore, we work with “soil” in the garden, and then wash the “dirt” from our hands when we go inside.

Soil is a living system.

Soil is a natural body made up of minerals, air, water, organic matter, and living organisms. There are more microorganisms in a handful of soil than there are people on earth, and these make up a microbiome. Soil also has bacteria, fungi, worms, and insects that feed on plant tissues, breaking them down into nutrients that plants can absorb.

Soil is at the bottom of the food chain.

Soil is the pillar of life on earth. It provides nutrients for the plants, bacteria, and other micro-organisms, soil is the very foundation of our food chain. Without it, the intricate web of consumption would not be possible. Without plants there would not be animals.

We not only rely on plants as food ourselves, but also to provide shelter and our way of life. Without soil and plants, we would not have access to medicines and fuel. Without trees, we would not have wood for fire, paper, and houses.

Soil can die.

Like all living things, soil can also die. When soil is cut off from its ecosystem, it becomes dirt. Excessive tilling, erosion, depletion, and overuse of chemical pesticides or fertilizers damage the soil’s ecosystem. And remember, when soil is depleted of its organic matter it will turn back into dirt.

Soil is a non-renewable resource.

This is perhaps the most surprising fact on the list, and you might wonder how that can be possible. Wood is considered a renewable resource because we can regrow trees, so how is it possible that soil – the very thing that trees grow from – is not renewable?

To be considered a renewable resource, we must be able to recover the resource within a human lifespan. To develop an inch of topsoil can take more than 500 years. While it is true that we can improve the soil in our home gardens by adding compost, nutrients, and fertilizers, this is not something that can be done effectively on a large scale. It is important for us to protect our soil and agricultural lands with good practices for sustainable soil management.

Soil can impact air quality.

Well-managed soil can take a ton of carbon out of the atmosphere. In addition to being a beneficial part of our ecosystem, soils can supply and retain nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. On the flip-side, mistreated soil can also create an immense amount of carbon emissions.

Soil cleans our water.

In fact, soil is the world’s biggest water filter. As water passes through the ground it is cleaned through physical, chemical, and biological processes. Good-quality soil can filter our pollutants and purify water, keeping our environments and our people healthy.

Soil is vulnerable.

Soil that is not covered with vegetative matter is vulnerable. Through wind, rain, and physical disturbances the soil is being moved away, faster than it can be replenished. Every year, billions of hectares of agricultural land are eroded.

To protect the soil, it is best to have some form of vegetation planted, even just grass and bushes or trees. They act as a barrier to reduce the impact of rain and slow the movement of water. Roots help hold the soil in place while retaining more water and nutrients.

What Now?

Now that you know how important soil is, you might be wondering what you can do to improve the soil in your gardens. Watch for our post next week on improving your garden soil!

For now, here are a few tips:

· Rotate crops to reduce nutrient deficiencies

· Use vegetation to protect soil in your yards

· Increase organic matter in soil through compost, manure, ground egg-shells, and shredded leaves

· Test your soil to see what it needs before using fertilizers

Thank you for reading today! I hope you have learned something, and will join us in the preservation of our precious soil. Even just taking better care of the soil in your garden and sharing these interesting facts with others will make a difference.

Our growing population is like a double-edged sword to our delicate ecosystem. Using more land for housing AND increasing the demand for food-production. Conservation efforts would be wise to focus on the ever-humble soil that supports every part of our lives.

See you next week for tips on enriching the soil in your garden!

More Resources.

If you would like to learn some more, this is a short list of resources to get you started:

Infographic: Soil is a non-renewable resource by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Article: Forest vegetation plays an important role in protecting water quality by Mike Schira with the Michigan State University Extension. This 3-minute video talks about protecting water with plants.

Short Video: “April: Soils Clean and Capture Water” with Jim Toomey from the Soil Science Society of America will teach you about the different ways soil cleans water.

Long Video: “Soil, Not Dirt: A Digital Journey Connecting Soils, Plants, and Climate” by Rebecca Lybrand, a pedologist at the University of Arizona. This 19-minute video studies how soil is part of the eco-system in a variety of climates.

Website for Kids: https://www.soils4kids.org/ is by the Soil Science Society of America and has a variety of resources such as games, experiments and articles for grades K – 12.

Meet Jeremy

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 10:30:00 -0800

The Visionary

What categorizes success?

Perhaps someone who has accomplished a great many things in their life, while also growing and always learning.

The definition that comes to mind to us is simple: Jeremy.

He has been with the company since 2005 and has been the overseer of Fundraising since.

When Jeremy isn't hard at work he is out running, in the mountains hiking and exploring, or at home with his wife and five boys.

He is most proud of what we do here at Growing Smiles, and how far we have come.

To be able to help so many groups, and communities raise money for various charities, events, trips, and certain people; is such an amazing honor.

Jeremy often references the "Flying V" geese formation, which is about being a team and helping each other, because we can't take the full load alone. Truly showing how much of a born leader he is.

We all are grateful to know this overly funny, and radiant light, we call Jeremy.

Meet Jeremy

World Smile Day!

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 15:33:29 -0700

Happy World Smile Day!

This year marks 21 years since World Smile Day was first created. We’d like to think that since 1999 we have been able to change life somehow with a smile. For those who follow inspirational quotes on smiling would know that according to Thich Nhat Hanh, “Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.” Smiling is able to express so many things with one simple action. Because our whole essence is based around this we believe it’s crucial to smile to as many people as we can, not just today but every day. Let’s bring light back into this ever gloomy world. Together we can be the change we wish to see in the world. One toothy grin at a time. Happy World Smile Day!

Check Out The Smiles Around The Office