Coast of Maine’s Growing Good Program reaches 2,000 gardens

In 2025, Coast of Maine’s Growing Good Program, a retailer-driven community initiative, reached schools, nonprofits and community gardens across the United States to help transform outdoor spaces into classrooms, food gardens and wellness hubs.

Designed to connect independent garden centers with local schools and nonprofits, Growing Good provides organic soils and amendments to support educational gardens, community growing spaces and hands-on learning environments. There were 831 gardens supported in 2025, bringing the total to 2,017 gardens since the program’s launch five years ago.

“Healthy soil grows more than plants — it grows opportunity,” said Cameron Bonsey, special programs manager at Coast of Maine. “Reaching 2,000 gardens shows what’s possible when local retailers become active community partners.”

Independent garden centers play a central role by identifying local organizations that benefit most from the program, helping stores strengthen community ties while promoting sustainable gardening practices.

Coast of Maine plans to expand Growing Good in 2026, inviting additional independent retailers to participate.

The company said in a news release that the program is "guided by a simple belief: healthy soil grows more than plants, it grows community."

"Each project reflects the spirit of Growing Good — connecting soil, science and people through shared purpose and organic growth," the company added.

In Wisconsin, Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid created an educational garden that blends environmental stewardship with intergenerational learning. Volunteers, students and families are working together to grow pollinator-friendly plants and fresh produce.

In New York, the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County’s 4-H program is building a sensory garden, where students explore mindfulness, pollinators and plant life.

Across the Midwest and Northeast, dozens of schools and nonprofits — from Rees E. Price Academy and the Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati in Ohio to Adath Israel Congregation and other community programs — are expanding educational gardens that merge science, sustainability and service.

In Washington, D.C., FRESHFARM continues to cultivate school gardens that connect children to nutrition, agriculture and environmental responsibility. In Massachusetts, The Marion Institute is helping communities grow health and wellness through its urban food initiatives, while in Tennessee, the Chattanooga Area Food Bank is using Coast of Maine soils to grow fresh produce for families experiencing food insecurity.

In North Carolina, NC State Extension Master Gardener Volunteers are teaching youth and residents how to grow productive, biodiverse gardens. In Mississippi, both the North Mississippi Medical Center Raised Beds for Food Insecurity and the Oktibbeha Master Gardeners are turning soil into sustenance through community-led food production.

In Colorado, Boulder County Public Health and early childhood programs across the region are engaging young learners in garden-based education — teaching science, math and ecology through planting and harvest. In Texas, Growing Together Texas is building stronger neighborhoods through garden spaces that foster collaboration, education and food access.

In Florida, school and nonprofit gardens supported by Coast of Maine are helping students explore sustainable growing practices and the connection between soil health and human health. And in Maine, community programs and educators continue to lead the way, using Coast of Maine soils to teach children how local resources can nurture both gardens and gratitude.

"Each of these projects tells a story of connection — from preschoolers discovering worms to high schoolers tracking pollinators to volunteers harvesting vegetables for food banks," the company said. "Together, they represent the heart of Coast of Maine’s mission: turning soil donations into seeds of change."