Inside the Box masthead
December 2010
In This Issue
EarthBox Education
EarthBox Catalog Photo Contest Winners!
Fresh from the Forum
Retailer of the Month
From Our Customers
Join Our Community
Ordering
About EarthBox
EarthBox Education: 

Learning Through Gardening


At The Montessori School of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, young gardeners in the Primary 3 class are learning the intricacies of gardening, using the EarthBox system. Gardening is an important part of the Montessori curriculum, and according to lead teacher Pamela Rhodes and assistant Karen Moree, it's always a favorite of the children.


Montessori Kids

Three Pawleys Island Montessori students with their EarthBoxes. They LOVE to Garden!


The 16 students, with the help of the teachers, prepared and planted the seeds in their EarthBoxes, which are located outside the classroom door that leads to their outdoor play area.


"For our winter garden," says Ms. Rhodes, "we planted pansies, snapdragons,  broccoli, radishes, cauliflower, and sugar snap peas. Our plans are to replant the boxes with the appropriate plants for the change of seasons. We plan to incorporate any edible harvest into our daily snack. If the harvest is bountiful, we plan to share with the other classes."

 

This is the first year that EarthBoxes have been used at the school, Rhodes reports. They were able to purchase the boxes using a grant awarded by ExxonMobil. However, the soil, lime, fertilizer, seeds and
plants were graciously provided by the families of the students.


"It has been a wonderful experience for our children!" Rhodes says. "We're looking forward to replanting in the spring. We have had so many compliments on the health and beauty of our garden!"


For information on starting an EarthBox project of your own, click here or contact our Education Department at 1-800-821-8838, ext. 8348 or 8369.

Photo of the Month Contest

Want to win a $25 EarthBox gift certificate? Send us your EarthBox success photos with the word "contest" in the subject line of your email, and you could be a winner!

 

Please make sure your image is in .JPG format and at least 640�480 pixels or 5 x 7 inches at 72 dpi. We'll pick a new winner every month, and post the entry in an upcoming issue.

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Home Gardening Seal

Tillywig
Greetings!

Well, the year's winding down...and among other things, that means that it's almost time for your 2011 EarthBox catalog to arrive in your mailbox.


In this issue, we're sharing some impressive photos and anecdotes from the winners of our recent catalog photo contest. We invite you to have a look. Thanks to all who entered, and congratulations to the winners!

 

Happy holidays,


Frank's Signature

Frank DiPaolo
EarthBox

P.S.: If you hurry, you can still save on EarthBox orders. Purchase online by December 31, and you'll save 50% on shipping and handling.
Olive Green ArrowCatalog Photo Contest Winners!


As always, we received some incredible photographs after we announced our catalog contest earlier this year. Here are some of those photos, with appropriate commentary from the EarthBox growers.

Margaret C.9ftTomatoesWinner

"I've been using my EarthBoxes for five years," Margaret C reports. "The peppers in this box are the biggest, prettiest ones I have ever had." At right, Jim F. declares, "I'm not complaining about having to tend my 9-foot tomato plants with a stepladder!"

BalleyWinner"We sure had a good crop of green beans, thanks to the EarthBoxes!" Mary M. tells us. Here's a picture of her proudly pointing to her filled trellis, which stretched over seven feet tall!


TwoChildrenWinner
The Ahladis family reports, "Here are William Michael and Kaya Sophia holding our first zucchini. It measured a foot long and weighed three pounds. We love our EarthBoxes!"


LettuceOnDeckWinnerLinda W. tells us, "We have been EarthBoxing for six years now, and have 10 boxes. The plants are huge and healthy, and produce so much that we have to give a lot away. EarthBoxes make gardening fun and easy!"


JaneT"This is only our second year using EarthBoxes," says Jane T. "We bought our first two last year to give it a try, and fell in love with them. We are now the proud owners of six EarthBoxes, and hope to get more."

Al With Corn"Your EarthBoxes have done an excellent job," Al S. writes.  "I can't believe I was able to grow corn. And to think our neighbors said I was wasting my time. Boy, have they changed their minds!"



Woman w/ veggiesTomatoes


"I went on vacation for a week, and this is what happened!" says Jessica B, at left. At right are John M.'s beefsteak tomato plants. "This works great on my deck," he reports, "and I have recommended the EarthBox to a lot of people."

Olive Green ArrowFresh from the Forum
Trellis Tricks

Fresh From the Forum

Some very clever EarthBox growers have created trellises and other structures for keeping vining plants upright. If you'd like to see a few, visit the Tips and Tricks section and check out the Trellis Design Gallery. Even if you aren't growing anything right now, this might be a great garage or basement project for you -- that way, you'll have a structure ready before your plants need one! Or if you'd prefer a ready-made staking rig, we can help.

Olive Green ArrowRetailer of the Month
The Urban Farmer


The Urban Farmer

This month, EarthBox salutes The Urban Farmer of Pompano Beach, Florida. The Urban Farmer isn't a traditional EarthBox retailer. Their business is all about local and sustainable agriculture, from their growing systems for residences and businesses to classes for children and adults. Their mission is "to give individuals and communities the tools needed to grow their own food, as well as to offer access to locally grown foods."

 

Co-founded early this year by Jon Albee and Jessica Padron, The Urban Farmer was established to bring the "slow food" movement to South Florida. The products offered are the EarthBox system, vertical and hydroponic growing systems, and organic pest control products.


The services are numerous. The Urban Farmer also runs a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, whereby members can buy a share of the farm and receive weekly shares of the harvest. They partner with local farms, as well as grow their own fresh produce for their CSA program. The Urban Farmer even supplies their harvested produce to a local restaurant, Blue Moon Fish Company.

 

Instructional classes are held at their recently opened Local Farm Project/Education & Research Center, where customers learn about assembling the EarthBox, family gardening for children 8-12 years old, and backyard farming techniques, among other topics. There are valuable articles and other resources on their website, and free farm tours are offered on Saturdays.

 

"The Urban Farmer was established to empower individuals to take back control of their food source," notes President Jessica Padron. "Too often, we don't know enough about how our food is being grown or where it comes from. For this reason, we offer resources to change this. To that end, we're continually conducting research to find the best way to grow efficiently and effectively. We're also dedicated to recognizing the small farmers of our community. There's a slow-food movement underway, and our mission is to help spread it!"

 

Visit The Urban Farmer at:

 

1730 North Powerline Road

Pompano Beach, Florida

954-586-6686

Tuesday - Friday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Sunday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Closed Mondays

 

www.theurbanfarmerflorida.com

Olive Green ArrowFrom Our Customers
An Earthbox Brimming With Delectable Herbs


HerbPic

"This is my main herb box. It contains cilantro, dill, and Italian flat leaf parsley."

 

Paul B.

SE New Mexico

Zone 7

Olive Green ArrowJoin Our Community

EarthBox is on Facebook!  Now you can become a fan of EarthBox, joining a community of fellow EarthBox users for conversations, advice and photo sharing -- or just to check out whatever new information EarthBox has to enhance your gardening experience.

And don't forget to check out our videos! This is a members only feature, so if you're not already a Facebook member, you'll need to sign up to view the videos.
Olive Green ArrowOrdering 

To place an order, call us at 866-727-5532 (24/7) or visit our online store.

Olive Green ArrowAbout EarthBox 
 
The patented EarthBox was developed by commercial farmers, and proven in the lab and on the farm. Our maintenance-free, award-winning, high-tech growing system controls soil conditions, eliminates guesswork, and more than doubles the yield of a conventional garden -- with less fertilizer, less water and virtually no effort.

It's used successfully on a daily basis by commercial farmers, educators, and consumers. Distributors are also finding it to be a popular growing system.
 
EarthBox is a remarkably easy-to-set-up system that can be used to grow produce virtually anywhere. EarthBox systems have been incorporated into community gardens all over the world, enabling families and neighbors to share fresh produce, while minimizing work and expenses.

EarthBoxes can even be found in classrooms. Our EarthBox Pre-K through 12th grade standards-based curriculum can bring science to life, with hands-on cross-curricula lessons that teach principles of growing and nutrition utilizing the scientific method in student-driven experiments.

To find out more, visit
www.earthbox.com. To request a catalog, call 888-917-3908.
EarthBox� 1350 Von Storch Avenue � Scranton, PA 18509 � 1-866-727-5532