Milo and Lotte are two of the second grade entrepreneurs behind the Borton Garden Shop in Tucson, AZ. We asked their teacher, Molly Reed, how her students’ business has connected them with their community. The results were pretty fantastic.
Milo: The Borton Seed Fundraising project started from when I was in first grade and I wanted to raise money for Borton. I started packaging Marigold seeds and selling each packet for $1 or six packets for $5. At the chili cook off in 2016, we raised $13 for Borton. This year is 2017 and we are selling seed packets on Tuesdays with other students, to the community. We want people to connect the community through gardening. We are trying to get enough money to start an exponential growth to start a business that helps the environment. We are selling corn, pepper, pumpkin, and marigold seed packets. We love working in the seed shop and being entrepreneurs for Borton, helping the environment, and bring the community together.
Lotte: I am in the Borton seed shop where we sell seeds for people in the community. My favorite thing to do there is make the origami packets. We made the Borton seed shop because we wanted to raise money for the Borton garden. Anybody is welcome to shop there. I think that the community wants to connect through helping our school as well as the environment. Other ways of the community connecting through the seed shop could be communities buying the seeds and growing their gardens together. I think that the seed shop could show what the seeds will grow into as an example for people to know what plant they are buying. I really liked working in the seed shop and creating the seed tree. The seed tree is where we hang our origami seed packets on display. How to make the origami seed packets: First, flip corner to meet the opposite corner to make a triangle. Second, fold the sides of the triangle over. Lastly, flip the top to make a pouch for the seeds.