We are excited to announce that we have successfully delivered an Eden Grow Tower to our very first Customer. This is a big deal for us at Eden and has been years in the making. What’s even more exciting to us is who our first customer is…a group of young men from a local church, Grace Baptist, near the Eden North Facility in White Salmon, Washington. Their story is empowering, and we are proud to share it with you.
It all started with Grace looking for a way to help young boys become young men. They were struggling to find direction. It wasn’t until their pastor, Mark (who married two of our team members 9 years ago) and Mark Long, the father of Eli, one of our team members, came to a Grow Tower Demonstration our COO/CTO was doing at our Eden North Facility. When they saw the Grow Towers, it clicked!
The Eden Grow Tower was not only going to be the means for these young men to learn Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (S.T.E.M.) but a way for them to get out into the community to help others. Together, Cohort Z, as they are called, raised enough funds to purchase a grow tower by doing acts of service in the community. They shoveled snow, worked in yards, and so much more. What’s even better is their plan for the future…
One of their primary goals of purchasing a grow tower was to be able to take the tower to senior citizen homes in the community to help empower them to grow as well. These young men are not only going to teach them how to use the grow tower to grow fresh produce but are going to bring them “Life”. Studies have shown how being around living plants improves happiness. One article even went so far as to say that plants can, “calm stress, reduce pain and even improve feelings of self-worth” (https://bit.ly/3CptZsh). Many of the residents have been lifelong farmers, so the chance to continue growing and caring for plants really will minister to them.
This is more than a community service project and the sale of a grow tower. It’s teaching multiple generations how to grow their own food, while also bringing empowerment, knowledge, and joy along the way! We could not be happier or more proud that the awesome young men of Cohort Z are our first customers, and we cannot wait for what the future holds for them, the path they are paving for future generations, and for the future of Eden. They are blazing the trail for Eden Community and S.T.E.M programs.
These young men are helping us accomplish our mission of providing sustainable food and energy to local communities, and so much more. They are brining joy and “life” into the lives of others. What more could we possibly ask for?
A special thank you to Pastor Mark at Grace Baptist Church and Mark Long for organizing Cohort Z and putting this awesome mission into action. And of course, thanks to Cohort Z for working hard to make this all happen. You men are the start of something great!
We will be updating you on their progress with the grow tower. It was great seeing them work together to assemble the tower upon delivery, and we are excited to see what they’ll do next. Head over to therealmartian.com to see the action unfold!
If you are interested in purchasing a grow tower, or have a project in mind, especially a S.T.E.M. initiative, that you would like to pursue with us, contact us here. We are actively seeking just this kind of partnership.