Oregon product helps hurricane-ravaged New Orleans
An Oregon company's product will help New Orleans stabilize fragile soils damaged by Hurricane Katrina. By Laura RillosSALEM, Ore. -- You'd never know looking at the outside of this non-descript building, but inside, the seeds of hope and compassion are being planted. Rather, they've being rolled into Seedballz, which are literally a ball of flower seeds rolled with clay. "Clay, dirt, water and sand, I guess it goes a long way," said David Brown, an employee. "I think it's ingenuity."
The simple idea, previously a school fundraiser, took off when owner Alice Strong began working with developmentally disabled adults like Brown. "A friend redesigned tools to make them user friendly for this population," said Strong. "And that was four years ago." Seedballz are now sold across the country and as far away as Germany. They've also beeen involved in some very special projects. A special version was given out during the Dalai Lama's visit to the U.S. last week. On Earth Day, volunteers will plant thousands of Seedballz on levees in New Orleans to help restore soil damaged during Hurricane Katrina.
"Sunflowers have the unique ability to pull lead out of soil," said Strong. But if you ask employee Gary Thomas, the reach of this product should extend even further. "They should go all over the world, not just Germany," he said. "They should get the chance to see all the flowers bloom. flowers are beautiful." |
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