When we were first experimenting with flavors for our chocolates, we both agreed that to make extraordinary chocolates, we needed to source our flavors from extraordinary people. At that time Kira had been working with a group at the University of Pennsylvania that was spending time in public schools setting up nutrition programs. One of their new efforts was a student run garden at Drew Elementary and UC High School in Philadelphia. Both of us agreed that we needed to incorporate the kids into the new product line, and what better ingredient for the students to grow than mint!

So after consulting with the new student gardeners, we settled on a patch of Kentucky Colonel mint, grown and tended caringly by the kids and sold to us every week.  We arranged a courier to make weekly pickups, and the partnership was born. 

Currently, the mint is housed in the students’ new greenhouse which extends the growing season and allows them to produce higher quality mint in larger quantities. But we still use more mint than the Philadelphia students can feasibly produce.

So, this year we are adding a second urban garden to our student mint project. The Global Visions Academy located in the Southside of Chicago, will begin growing organic mint for our Garden Mint chocolates as part of their S~DUG (Student Developers of Urban Gardens) program. S~DUG’s urban garden has created a “Living Classroom” to teach their students and the community about gardens for food, biodiversity and to instill an appreciation of nature. Students will work in and use the garden in The garden also provides a safe, supportive after-school space and, through grants and sales of their crops, offers paying jobs for some of the students.

These projects fit perfectly with our philosophy.  It is our hope that our creations offer you two opportunities for personal enjoyment.  The first is to take pleasure in the amazingly delicious chocolates themselves.  The second is the opportunity to commune (through the palate) with the farmers and growers that create our flavors.  One of our hopes is that the taste of the Garden Mint (most of which is supplied by the student gardeners at University City High School and, soon, Global Visions Academy) will peak interest in the school garden movement and ultimately motivate people to support similar local projects.

General information:
National Farm School Program

By City:
New York, NY: Just Food
Red Hook, NY: Added Value and Herban Solutions/Red Hook Farmers Market
Gainsville, FL: Neighborhood Nutrition Network
Lubbock, Texas: South Plains Food Bank, Inc.
Los Angeles, CA: Healthy Farms, Healthy Kids
Berkeley, CA: The Edible Schoolyard