The Mustard Seed - Garden Center

Mark and Kay Halla, owners of The Mustard Seed, a landscaping and garden center in Chaska, have been named by MVEC as recipients of a local Touchstone Energy Community Award.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. –The winners of the 2011 Environmental Initiative Awards were announced last week by Environmental Initiative. The Environmental Initiative Awards annually recognize innovative projects that have harnessed the power of partnership to achieve extraordinary environmental outcomes. Winners were announced on Thursday, May 26, during the Environmental Initiative Awards dinner at the Nicollet Island Pavilion. Forty-nine award nominations were submitted by partnerships from across Minnesota. A team of independent judges selected three finalists, including one winner, in each of the five award categories: Energy and Climate Protection, Environmental Education, Green Business and Environmental Management, Natural Resource Protection and Restoration and Sustainable Communities. In addition, almost five hundred community members voted online to select one of the fifteen finalists as the 2011 Partnership of the Year. The online vote was conducted in partnership with InCommons, a new collaborative community in Minnesota that connects people on- and off-line, allowing them to find and share credible tools, knowledge and resources for solving community problems.

The winners are:
Energy and Climate Protection Category
Milan Sustainable Energy Utility

Environmental Education Category
Powderhorn Lake Neighborhood of Raingardens

Green Business and Environmental Management Category
Target Field

Natural Resource Protection and Restoration Category
Go Blue! Diamond Lake Community Makeover

Sustainable Communities Category
Saint Paul Port Authority’s Beacon Bluff Redevelopment

2011 Partnership of the Year
The Mustard Seed Garden Center

About the Awards
Many of Minnesota’s most innovative environmental projects have succeeded through
collaboration, often involving partners from business, nonprofit, and government sectors. The
Environmental Initiative Awards were established in 1994 to honor these projects and their many
partners, to inspire other organizations to create similar successful projects, and to encourage
innovative collaborative approaches to environmental problem solving. For more information on
this year’s finalists and winners, as well as descriptions of all nominated projects, visit
http://www.incommons.org/environmentalinitiativeawards.
About Environmental Initiative
Environmental Initiative (formerly the Minnesota Environmental Initiative) seeks solutions to
Minnesota’s environmental problems through collaborative action taken by innovative partnerships.
Environmental Initiative brings together nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies to find
consensus on critical issues and respond with actions that have measurable, positive environmental
outcomes.

Congratulations to The Mustard Seed Landscaping & Garden Center, recipient of the prestigious 2011 "Friend of the Environment" award from the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association.

The Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association is the state's oldest and largest green industry trade organization. Started in 1925 as the Minnesota Nurserymen's Association, today MNLA represents and serves nursery and greenhouse growers, garden centers, irrigation contractors, industry suppliers, and a wide range of landscape professionals. The association aims to help these members operate their businesses more successfully by providing education, networking, legislative and regulatory representation, public relations, and financial benefits through group purchasing and other member services.

Out of thousands of landscape and garden centers in MN, The Mustard Seed was selected to receive this award because of their steadfast commitment to the environment! From the initial construction of their facility, using the most advanced technologies in energy efficiency, to their dedication to community education, to being the first garden center in MN to install a wind turbine that will supply all of their electrical needs, The Mustard Seed exemplifies excellent stewardship.

The MNLA is proud to recognize The Mustard Seed Landscaping & Garden Center as its 2011 Friend of the Environment!

During it's first year as a Toys For Tots drop site, The Mustard Seed Landscaping & Garden Center has been amazed at the generosity of the Carver County residents. They have collected an entire sleigh full of toys that will be distributed by the Marines to children that may not otherwise receive gifts this Christmas.

Pictured here are Santa and Elf Mark and Button receiving a donation check from Craig Lofdahl,of the Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative (MVEC), made out to Toys For Tots for $250. MVEC has donated a total of $750 this Christmas season in Carver, LeSeur and Scott Counties.

In addition to the donation from MVEC and all the toys, the Carver County Circle C 4H Club held a fundraiser at The Mustard Seed and collected an additional $204.12, also to be donated to Toys For Tots.

The Mustard Seed thanks everyone for their incredible generosity!!!

NEW YORK, NY, May 4, 2011 -- The Mustard Seed, Inc. has been selected for the 2011 Best of Chaska Award in the Garden Centers category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

This is the first year that a business has qualified as a Four-Time Award Winner. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2011 USCA Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a New York City based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

WASHINGTON D.C., September 2, 2010 -- For the third consecutive year, The Mustard Seed, Inc. has been selected for the 2010 Best of Chaska Award in the Garden Centers category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA).

The USLBA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Nationwide, only 1 in 120 (less than 1%) 2010 Award recipients qualified as three-time Award Winners. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2010 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties.

U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USLBA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USLBA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Local Business Association

CONTACT:
U.S. Local Business Association
Email: PublicRelations@uslbaaward.com
URL: http://www.uslbaaward.com

WASHINGTON D.C., June 8, 2009 -- The Mustard Seed, Inc. has been selected for the 2009 Best of Chaska Award in the Garden Centers category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

WASHINGTON D.C., July 15, 2008 -- The Mustard Seed, Inc. has been selected for the 2008 Best of Chaska Award in the Garden Centers category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA). Click here for full story.

Whether he is calling on potential clients, building his company, or pursuing his bride to be, Mark Halla is a man of conviction. When Mark first met Kay, she had just earned a degree in landscape architecture from Iowa State University and moved to the Minneapolis area to work at Halla Nursery, a company owned by

Mark’s father and started by his grandparents in 1942. Mark was working there also – the third generation of Hallas. In the beginning, Kay turned down Mark’s requests for a date, but eventually his persistence won her over and the two were married in 1986.
Read the full story here >>>

Cory Whitmer, BNI Core Connection Member in Chaska, Minnesota, was recently quoted in the Minneapolis Star Tribune sharing his vast wisdom about specimen landscape plants. Cory is a Landscape designer and partner in The Mustard Seed Landscaping & Garden Center in Chaska, Minnesota. To learn more about Cory, check out his bio here.

You can read the article by clicking here.

Click the video to see
The Mustard Seed Field Trips.

A Minnesota “Green Company” Surges Ahead In Social Responsibility

Chaska, MN (October 8, 2008) – The Mustard Seed Landscaping and Garden Center is helping their community make Earth Science come alive for all kids. In this global economic age, educational competition is high, especially in math and science. Unless kid get excited about science and math, Business Week claims, “… in six years, 90% of all engineers will be from China and India.” With the US struggling to educationally catch up, this is where socially responsible businesses can jump in to help. Read more here.

Mark Halla of The Mustard Seed is awarded 2007 Chanhassen Area Chamber of Commerce & Vistor Bureau Business Person Of The Year.

The Mustard Seed Landscaping and Garden Center proud to be Platinum Partners of the Chanhassen Area Chamber.

The Mustard Seed Team pictured here with Chanhassen Mayor Tom Furlong, was awarded the Business of the Year 2006 at the January 23rd Chanhassen area Chamber of Commerce meeting, for Leadership and service to the community. The Mustard Seed Team from left to right(Kelly Lorenz, Amanda Clark, Cory Whitmer, Eric Hagen, Kay Halla, Mark Halla and Mayor Furlong.)

In January, 2007 at the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association annual Convention,The Mustard Seed's award winning Landscape Architect, Kay Halla was awarded a Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Landscape Installation for Westwood Community Church project.

The Mustard Seed awarded Hedberg Award of Excellence for Outstanding Design, Craftsmanship & Installation of Natural Stone Wall/Patio for Westwood Community Church project.