Dynamite Donates Fertilizer to Local Community Garden

Dynamite has donated a year’s supply of Vigor, an all natural, organic fertilizer, to a local community garden in Boise, Idaho. On April 12th, Dynamite C.O.O., Jos Zamzow, spent the afternoon teaching 48 participating children the importance of soil and plant health, as well as how to apply the fertilizer to their plant beds. Housed at Whitney Elementary School, the community center is operated by Boise Parks & Recreation. The community garden, established in 2010, is just beginning their third harvesting year. Last year, the garden was expanded to twice as many plant beds, allowing for a greater community donation of the produce harvested. This year, students have planted a variety of produce including lettuce, spinach, squash, eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes. Chris Kranz, site coordinator says, “Planting and harvesting the vegetables has been fun and educational for kids who are learning about healthy foods.” Although most of their harvest is used to provide the children with healthy after school snacks, some produce is distributed out to low income, refugee families in the area.
Vigor is the newest addition to Dynamite’s line of all natural products.  This unique, non-leaching fertilizer focuses on plant health, rather than plant growth. The result of a healthy plant is that the fruits, vegetables and flowers are bigger, brighter, more plentiful and most importantly they contain more nutrients. Vigor also stays put in the soil, allowing the plant to feed when they want, however often they need. "We love teaching people about soil and plant health” Zamzow says. “It's even more fun to start with children because they are like sponges in that they absorb the information and leave here excited about gardening and growing things." Community service has always been a value the company upholds.  Just a few months ago, Dynamite donated $3,400 to Best Friends Animal Society, matching a $5 coupon promotion they offered in the month of March. Last year, Dynamite gifted 2,800 pounds of dog food valued at $4,200 to the Idaho Humane Society as a result of a Facebook contest.  In 2011, Dynamite employees and their families logged over 150 volunteer hours at the Idaho Food Bank and included a truckload donation of plums picked at the company’s own test orchard. Two years ago, the company offered its top distributors a choice of a personal prize such as a trip to Maui or double the value as a donation to charity. The result was $22,000 in charitable donations. The Whitney community garden hopes to further expand their existing garden as well as create two new gardens within the next year. They were recently recipients of a $12,000 Childhood Obesity Grant from Blue Cross of Idaho. For more information on the Whitney Community Center, visit http://www.cityofboise.org/Departments/Parks/Activities/SchoolCommunityCenters/WhitneyCommunityCenter/page44712.aspx For more information on Dynamite, or to order products visit www.dynamitespecialty.com or call the home office at 800-697-7434