The Seeds of Tomorrow project, organized by Houweling's Tomatoes, recently completed its goal of opening a greenhouse to feed children in the underprivileged village of Tactic, Guatemala. The greenhouse will help to provide a source of nutrition for local school children and knowledge about farming best-practices to local farmers.
Working with Houweling's Tomatoes, Damian Solomon, a DeRuiter sales representative, guided Monsanto to a multi-year seed donation commitment for the greenhouse, which officially opened Sept. 30.
The greenhouse, donated by Houweling's corporate partner Kubo of Holland, is 487 square meters and connected to a rolling hillside planted with various transplanted crops.
"This is a very fertile area in Guatemala, but the problem is there are torrential downpours nearly every day, and they wash away seeds before they can take root," Solomon said. "This greenhouse will serve as a way to protect the seeds from the rain and the various pests that live in the area. Once they get growing in the greenhouse, they can be transplanted to the fields nearby."
"The idea for Seeds of Tomorrow was driven by Rebecca Houweling, daughter of Houweling's Tomatoes owner Casey Houweling. Rebecca Houweling had visited the region as a student and missionary, and convinced her father to help the struggling residents of the small village," said David Bell, chief marketing officer for Houweling's Tomatoes.
"We partnered with Impact Ministries, an organization that has established a school program in Tactic, and part of their education program deals with nutrition," Bell said. "The people there are very malnourished, eating only beans, rice and tortillas. Casey realized we could make a long-lasting difference by providing the platform and knowledge for the local community to grow and harvest nutritious vegetables. With that vision in mind, he mobilized our resources to drive the project.
"We've worked with Impact Ministries and a number of our other corporate partners to get this off the ground. Looking back on how the project has progressed since the impetus of the idea, we're very proud of what we have collectively been able to accomplish."
Houweling's Tomatoes, one of the largest tomato growers in the United States, worked with many of its commercial suppliers, including DeRuiter and Kubo of Holland, to plan, construct and stock the greenhouse at no cost to the village.
Solomon worked to deliver seeds to the greenhouse.
"The seeds we donated are perfectly good, but in this industry, anytime you introduce a new variety of seed, suddenly that's what everyone wants, and you're left with old varieties of seed that are perfectly good, but they're not the new, hip thing anymore," Solomon said. "But to the people of Tactic, they're exactly what they needed."
Brenda Esperanza Garcia, a Monsanto researcher in Guatemala, said the people of Tactic are excited about the potential of the new greenhouse.
"The seed that Monsanto distributed will help the students of these schools, because they will have healthy food to eat," said Garcia. "Also, they will learn how to grow it and take care of it. It will supply the village with excellent foods."
For more information on the Seeds of Tomorrow project, visit: http://www.houwelings.com/files-2/donate.php
Working with Houweling's Tomatoes, Damian Solomon, a DeRuiter sales representative, guided Monsanto to a multi-year seed donation commitment for the greenhouse, which officially opened Sept. 30.
The greenhouse, donated by Houweling's corporate partner Kubo of Holland, is 487 square meters and connected to a rolling hillside planted with various transplanted crops.
"This is a very fertile area in Guatemala, but the problem is there are torrential downpours nearly every day, and they wash away seeds before they can take root," Solomon said. "This greenhouse will serve as a way to protect the seeds from the rain and the various pests that live in the area. Once they get growing in the greenhouse, they can be transplanted to the fields nearby."
"The idea for Seeds of Tomorrow was driven by Rebecca Houweling, daughter of Houweling's Tomatoes owner Casey Houweling. Rebecca Houweling had visited the region as a student and missionary, and convinced her father to help the struggling residents of the small village," said David Bell, chief marketing officer for Houweling's Tomatoes.
"We partnered with Impact Ministries, an organization that has established a school program in Tactic, and part of their education program deals with nutrition," Bell said. "The people there are very malnourished, eating only beans, rice and tortillas. Casey realized we could make a long-lasting difference by providing the platform and knowledge for the local community to grow and harvest nutritious vegetables. With that vision in mind, he mobilized our resources to drive the project.
"We've worked with Impact Ministries and a number of our other corporate partners to get this off the ground. Looking back on how the project has progressed since the impetus of the idea, we're very proud of what we have collectively been able to accomplish."
Houweling's Tomatoes, one of the largest tomato growers in the United States, worked with many of its commercial suppliers, including DeRuiter and Kubo of Holland, to plan, construct and stock the greenhouse at no cost to the village.
Solomon worked to deliver seeds to the greenhouse.
"The seeds we donated are perfectly good, but in this industry, anytime you introduce a new variety of seed, suddenly that's what everyone wants, and you're left with old varieties of seed that are perfectly good, but they're not the new, hip thing anymore," Solomon said. "But to the people of Tactic, they're exactly what they needed."
Brenda Esperanza Garcia, a Monsanto researcher in Guatemala, said the people of Tactic are excited about the potential of the new greenhouse.
"The seed that Monsanto distributed will help the students of these schools, because they will have healthy food to eat," said Garcia. "Also, they will learn how to grow it and take care of it. It will supply the village with excellent foods."
For more information on the Seeds of Tomorrow project, visit: http://www.houwelings.com/files-2/donate.php
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