Usually I don’t post news about Surf City Growers here at the community garden blog, but this is related and I thought you all would enjoy seeing what Linda and I work so hard to communicate to families through our gardening products. At the heart of what we do is emphasize the importance of growing your own food, and how we Americans have become so distanced from it’s source that our kids can hardly identify, let alone eat, common vegetables.
Last month I submitted our My First Organics seed starting kits in the Toy Category at the Parents’ Choice Foundation. My thought was that our wonderful kits are not only educational, but perhaps also fit quite creatively in the category of a ‘toy’. As the creators of the kits, my wife and I have always quibbled over how they fit into the marketplace as a consumer product. But one thing we always agree on is that they are a fabulous hobby for the entire family to enjoy, especially when we as parents are competing with TVs, XBOXs and mobile game applications.
So, why not give it a shot, I thought.
And here we are, recognized by “The Nation’s Oldest Nonprofit Guide to Quality Children’s Media and Toys” as a winner in the Toys and Games category!
The Parents’ Choice Foundation’s founding principals were one of the main reasons why I felt that our product was a perfect fit:
- Children deserve material to sharpen young minds, not blunt them
- Children learn most easily when they enjoy it
- Knowledge gives parents confidence to teach their children
- And above all, because learning is fun – and we want kids to know it!
So I suppose it comes as no surprise, really, that My First Organics seed starting kits are a standout when it comes to a toy that fits all of these criteria. Here is a quote from the review that sums up why Linda and I have worked so hard these last few years to bring this product to children of all ages, everywhere:
Some would say there is nothing more rewarding than a garden. In this case, the experience of teaching our testers about the value of organic gardening and having them see their plants grow right before their eyes, has proven that to be true.
—> Read full review <—
Thank you Parents’ Choice Foundation! We hope we can continue to create worthwhile, amazing products that instruct, inspire and make families inquire.
Now, if only I had remembered to submit our children’s book in time as well…oh well, there’s always next year.
Trent McNair is the Co-founder of Surf City Growers, Inc. in Aptos, CA. He and his wife Linda are founding board members of the Aptos Community Garden and creators of the My First Organics seed starting hobby kits.
The gardens are flourishing and people are enjoying delicious produce. We are very grateful to have experienced three days of summer this week, with record high temperatures. The very cool summer has taken a toll on the flavor of many varieties of tomatoes-with the exception of the cherry tomatoes. They are outstanding! Check with your neighbors to see which ones did well. Perhaps an Indian summer will help ripen the rest by the time of the next garden BBQ in October—date and time TBA.
Gardener’s Soapbox