Growing idea: 4-H partners with Veseys Seeds for fundraising pilot project

The Island business Veseys Seeds in York is partnering with 4-H Canada on a new national fundraising campaign.

This is the first national campaign 4-H has ever tried and it's just a pilot project right now, but one of the organizers says she hopes it becomes a yearly event.

"This pilot program is an opportunity to learn to do by doing and then we can fine tune the program," said Stefanie Nagelschmitz, chair of the Canadian 4-H Foundation.

The young people who volunteer with 4-H will get to sell a wide range of Veseys garden products including seeds and bulbs.

"This will give an opportunity for budding entrepreneurs in the youth program to develop their entrepreneurship skills while also raising funds for local, national, and provincial levels of 4-H," Nagelschmitz said.

Of every $10 of products sold, $6 will go to 4-H - with most of that money staying locally - and $4 will go to Veseys to cover costs, she said.

"We wanted to make sure that we had a product and a product partner that reflect the interests and passions of 4-H members and even has some ties back to 4-H's connection with agriculture," Nagelschmitz said.

She said partnering with Veseys Seeds made sense because it is an Island company that is the largest mail order gardening business in the country.

The pilot project is looking for 300 groups to participate, and the deadline to sign up is Sept. 30, Those looking to be part of the project can sign up through the 4-H website.

Nagelschmitz isn't sure how much money will be raised.

"Like any new venture the sky is the limit. One of the reasons we are going through a pilot program is to get some learning," Nagelschmitz said.

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