#growingmovement

Every day I learn a new lesson. Message of the Week:  

 It isn’t the quantity but the quality of an experience. Who shows up does NOT measure the scale of your purpose.

 First week we began a training program, which required an 80-mile drive plus 4 hours of time, over two days with the expectation of 10 attendees. As we waited for class to begin, there were two people (Jazmine - a young woman with her son- Tajah) eager to attend and begin learning our 3D Model of Sustainability™, using plants for Education (STEM), Food, Health and Mental Wellness and Enterprise.

 At first, the son Tajah was immersed in his tablet with his earbuds, not paying much attention to us. Once we started the presentation describing the class, he put down his earbuds/tablet, pulled up a chair next to his mom Jazmine and was “All on Board” . He not only offered information to Ms. Stinson, his mom and I about plants, environments and more, he asked if he could miss school to attend the next day’s class. When asked how he got so smart, he said, “his mother” and then proceeded to ask for a weekend class to learn about growing plants, STEM and even enterprise!

 Now we are into Week 2, Tajah and Jazmine are going strong and have strengthened my belief that there are confirmations when you are on the right path. It may not always be easy, however the scale of the contribution to generational education and life skills is unmeasurable.

 Stay tuned for more information about our non-profit organization, Next Generation Harvest move to the Dominican Center, Milwaukee, WI. The Dominican Center was previously my elementary school - St. Leo’s and where we began our mission to provide hydroponics as a tool of learning, sustainable food, and income possibilities. We are looking forward to 2023 for exciting new adventures and changes for the future.

Hi Everyone, I am your #Cool_NewGreen_CEO Shelley Mathews. After choosing a name for my blog, I had after-thoughts like OH NO why did I choose to say “cool”.  For me Cool stands for everything I believe in including:

C - Courageous and always fighting justice

O - Optimistic and looking to spread joy

O - Opportunity Giver to those that seek to make a better world

L - Leader for dreamers and entrepreneurs

I look forward to sharing fun and “cool” news on growing green and “Getting back to the Basics” with plant growing. 

 We are seeing a movement across the country in homes, schools, urban and rural communities of the benefits of growing your own food and plants. The Agriculture Department has recognized Hydroponics as a viable and next stage of farming and our FC26I team and I are on the forefront of this future in farming and gardening.

 Thank you for supporting our GROWING COMMUNITY.

 Shelley Mathews

George Washington Carver (1864 – January 5, 1943) was an American agricultural scientist and inventor who promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion. He was the most prominent black scientist of the early 20th century. While a professor at Tuskegee Institute, Carver developed techniques to improve soils depleted by repeated plantings of cotton. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_Carver

Years ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the Tuskegee Institute with my family, little did I know that my passion of gardening would take a giant leap with hydroponics. George Washington Carver is my hero. He was on the forefront of agriculture and plant discovery. In the last four years I have heard stories of why gardening and farming was left behind for many as a relic of slavery. It was quite an eye-opener hearing Tuskegee student at a Future Farmers Association convention (FFA) discuss the lack of students interested in agriculture due to the remnants of slavery. This was echoed on another level during a friend conversation that shared growing a garden was as source of perceived poverty in the neighborhood. The response I was receiving had an impact on my journey. However, the last feedback changed my life. A team member of the Dominican Center for Women, Milwaukee, WI said that the craziness, crime and more going in his community was due to children raised on lead in the land and water and the lack of local fresh produce. He looked at hydroponics by OPCOM as possible solution. Today, the Dominican Center for Women is a model of our FullCircle26 Inc. 3D Model of Sustainability. They have achieved all our aspirations of growing hydroponic plants for Education, Food Sustainability and Enterprise. We salute George Washington Carver by launching our Grow Hydroponically for Food Banks with our FullCircle26, Inc – Giving Back Campaign. In this time of food insecurity, we are asking all our OPCOM hydroponic partners and hydroponic growers nationwide to donate a portion of their produce to their local food bank. This campaign will kick off Feeding America Team Feed Campaign. See https://www.fullcircle26inc.com/givingback for more information.

Yours in Growing