[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 22 (Thursday, March 3, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 3, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                      TRIBUTE TO ADVANCE SEED CO.

 Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
company's countless contributions to the community of Louisville, KY. 
The Advance Seed Co. of Fulton, KY, has helped make the dreams of a 
Veterans Administration medical center in Louisville come true and the 
dream continues today.
  The Louisville-based medical center leads other centers in a 
nationwide program named Project Blossom, a horticultural therapy 
project for veterans which allows for exposure to the outdoors, mental 
exercise, relaxation, and a chance to nurture living things. With help 
from Advance Seed Co., the national project became a success in 
Louisville. Advance Seed has donated more than $3,000 in seeds to the 
program. More than 35 centers in 24 states now participate in Project 
Blossom with 6 million seeds at a retail value over $57,000 donated 
nationwide. The extensive effort will benefit over 1,500 patients 
directly and thousands more indirectly. These numbers continue to grow 
daily.
  Of course, this would hardly be a reality if it were not for the 
diligent and continuous work of Mr. Jack Simpson. A very active member 
in the community of Fulton, Mr. Simpson is a member of the four Rivers 
Manufacturing Council, the Fulton County Chamber of Commerce, and other 
civic organizations. Along with these achievements is his enthusiastic 
commitment to Advance Seed for the past nineteen years. He is currently 
chief operating officer of the Advance Seed Co., and he certainly put 
his best foot forward to make sure that the medical center's wishes 
were granted.
  Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this 
outstanding Kentucky company and all its valuable members, especially 
Mr. Simpson. Mr. President, I also ask that an article from a Veterans 
Administration medical center newsletter be included in the Record.
  The article follows:

                  [From the VA Connections newsletter]

            Project Blossom Grows and Grows and Grows * * *

       [Note.--As the story goes, Johnny Appleseed traveled around 
     the country planting apple seeds wherever he went. The 
     Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers have their own 
     ``Johnny Appleseed'' in the form of the Advance Seed 
     Company.]
       Through the exceptional generosity of a seed company in 
     Fulton, Kentucky, the Louisville VAMC has led Medical Centers 
     across the country in a nationwide horticulture therapy 
     project.
       Last summer, the Advance Seed Company donated 2,500 
     packages of vegetable and flower seeds (valued at over 
     $3,200) to the Day Treatment Center's Horticulture Therapy 
     Program.
       Robert Brown, Sales Administrator for the Advance Seed 
     Company, says his company made the donation to benefit the 
     country's Veterans. ``Because they have given so much to us, 
     we felt this would be the least we could do for them.'' he 
     said.
       After their initial donation, the Advance Seed Company 
     (which is the retail distributor of Ferry-Morse Seeds) 
     received such an overwhelming positive response from Veterans 
     and the general community that they decided to take the 
     Project nationwide.
       With the help and coordination of the Louisville VAMC's 
     Public Affairs Office and the American Legion, every VAMC 
     with horticulture therapy programs was contacted and offered 
     up to 3,000 packages of seeds--at absolutely no cost.
       The response was tremendous.
       Project Blossom distributed more than six million seeds 
     nationwide--that's 43,475 individual seed packets--with a 
     retail value of more than $57,000. Thirty-five Medical 
     Centers in 24 states received seed packets that will 
     ultimately benefit over 1,500 patients directly and thousands 
     more indirectly.
       Each facility receiving seed packets was encouraged to use 
     creativity and ingenuity in deciding how they could best use 
     the donation. And, since the massive distribution early this 
     Spring, several Medical Centers have reported back to the 
     Louisville VAMC and the Advance Seed Company regarding their 
     success with Project Blossom.
       At the Battle Creek, Michigan, VAMC, for example, the seeds 
     are being grown to produce flowers for the flower beds on 
     hospital grounds and for flower arrangements used at VA 
     functions (such as dances, volunteer luncheons, and patriotic 
     celebrations). Their greenhouse also features a ``plant of 
     the month'' that is grown and distributed on the hospital 
     wards, in waiting areas and in day rooms.
       Battle Creek patients are taking horticulture therapy one 
     step further by using the flowers in basic flower arranging 
     classes and also by creating a ``butterfly garden'' complete 
     with hibernation boxes.
       Horticulture therapy principles have been around for 
     centuries, but formal horticulture therapy and structured 
     programs are relatively new. Horticulture therapy uses simple 
     gardening techniques to enhance the quality of life for 
     individuals with mental, physical, emotional, development, 
     and/or social problems.
       From a medical perspective, researchers are just beginning 
     to look for a psychological or even physiological explanation 
     for the benefits of horticulture therapy. However, on a more 
     obvious level, gardening benefits special populations in the 
     same way it does for the rest of us: physical exercise, the 
     opportunity to be exposed to the outdoors, mental challenges, 
     relaxation when we're tense, and the outlet to nurture living 
     things.
       A big ``thanks'' goes to Robert Brown, who initiated 
     Project Blossom. A great Veterans advocate, Brown is 
     currently the vice-commander of the American Legion--
     Department of Kentucky, as well as an active member of the 
     Disabled American Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign Wars 
     among others.

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