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.

The Mustard Seed designed and built five environmental stations to teach basic “Earth Science” to school and youth groups. This hands-on learning experience for kids is offered free of charge as an educational field trip. The five stations include: Wellness, Apiculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry and Composting.  “Everything taught at these stations are simple things kids can do at home, starting immediately; getting them actively involved in making their world healthier and more balanced,” says owner Mark Halla. At the WELLNESS station, kids play. Physical exercise is essential for health, but also needs to be fun, or we won’t keep doing it as we get older. The APIARY teaches how a simple peasant bee becomes Queen and kids learn that local honey offers holistic health benefits for allergies and healing. HORTICULTURE teaches kids the phenomenon of planting a miraculous seed in soil, and with water and sun, it becomes a plant. ANIMAL HUSBANDRY could become a mandatory class for any child who wants a pet. Learning to care for others with the basics of food, water and shelter is essential for a compassionate and harmonious world. COMPOSTING teaches how to make soil, fertilizer and mulch. It’s a fantastic way to learn the wonders of recycling: whether it’s table scraps, lawn clippings, bathwater, old boards, or clothes to a consignment shop; it stresses our American creativity: reuse, reinvent and recycle. “Kids go home with knowledge and gifts. Our new field trip station video can be seen on YouTube, www.youtube.com/v/msnE81QTO1U”, says Mark Halla. “Our goal is to excite kids about science and give them skills that engage them in creating a healthier world.”  

The Mustard Seed is a full service nursery, garden and landscape design center located on Hwy. 212 in Chaska, MN. They specialize in ecological designs for homes and businesses, offering the new field trip stations as a way to empower their community with earth science knowledge.