Harris Seeds Hosted a 'Picnic for the Vets' Event for the Veterans of our Armed Forces on Saturday, August 25, 2012.

ROCHESTER, NY, August 29, 2012 (Press-News.org) Harris Seeds in Rochester, NY hosted a 'Picnic for the Vets' event for the Veterans of our Armed Forces on Saturday, August 25, 2012 at the Harris Seeds facility at 355 Paul Road. Harris Seeds was pleased to hold this event to demonstrate their gratitude to the veterans and thank those who currently serve. This May, Harris Seeds hosted a 'Gardening with the Vets' event that included planting demonstrations and a look at the company's newly-planted vegetable and flower trial beds. At that time, the veterans expressed their interest in seeing the trial grounds later in the summer, with flowers in full bloom and vegetables ready to sample. Harris Seeds was eager to host the group again.

Jennifer Hemingway, Human Resources Manager at Harris Seeds echoed this sentiment, saying "When Dick Chamberlin, president and CEO, told me that he wanted to put on a gardening forum for local veterans back in May, I saw the opportunity for our employees' passion for gardening to reach beyond our walls and into our community. Gardening is not only a business to Harris Seeds, but it is also a way of life for our employees, many of whom are gardeners or professional growers themselves. It's particularly meaningful to be able to share our love of growing with those who have put their lives on the line for us."

Veterans and their guests were given a guided tour of the vegetable and flower trial grounds where they got a first-hand look at new varieties not yet available in the marketplace. After the tour, a question and answer session offered a forum for veterans' questions about gardening or the trials. Next, attendees sampled tomato, melon, and sweet corn varieties, rating each variety for flavor, texture, and appearance. Lunch was served and then guests were offered produce and flowers from Harris Seeds' trial grounds and local growers' farms to enjoy at home. Bob White of Bob-Mar Farms, John Cintineo of Countryside Flower Farm, and Stephanie Ludwig of G&S Orchards generously contributed produce for the event. Over 50 guests were in attendance.

The Harris Seeds Company began long ago in 1879 in the fertile Genesee Valley of Western New York. Over the next century, it became a leader in the development and distribution of flowers and vegetables for the home garden and professional grower marketplace. Located in Rochester, New York, the company specializes in high quality vegetable and flower seeds, plants and growing supplies. The company publishes over 500,000 catalogs every year, serving the home gardener and professional grower. Quality has been the hallmark of Harris Seeds for over 132 years. It was the very first company in America to test for quality germination and print the results on every package of seed sold. Harris Seeds places extreme importance in providing the finest products available, coupled with service that goes unmatched in the industry.