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CULTIVATING HEALTHY LIFESTYLES
When Karen Cancilla's grandmother moved into an assisted living center, she refused to get out of bed until Cancilla (pictured, left) installed an organic garden on the site. "Many of the seniors, including Grandma, enjoyed tending the garden," Cancilla says. "They felt a sense of pride when their produce was used in the center's menus."

It wasn't long before Cancilla was fielding requests to install planters in other senior facilities, hospital courtyards, and schools. Since she established groOrganic in April 2009, Cancilla and her gardens have also been featured on television reality shows, and clients include movie stars, producers, and directors.

Because studies show that children who grow their own produce eat more vegetables, Cancilla's main focus is on educating kids about the benefits of organic gardening. Her "Growing Our Future" School Gardening Program gives teachers a curriculum to teach students while they plant and tend a groOrganic garden.
(888) 947-6674; groOrganic.com By, Colleen Fliedner