Grosse Pointe Woods: One talented mom is putting to music a plea many parents have for their children to engage with nature. With her new program Motown is Gro-Town, Danielle Carlomusto is inspiring children to connect with the joys of growing food and the world outside.
Local musician, avid backyard gardener, and mom of three year-old twins, Danielle Carlomusto has launched Motown is Gro-Town Initiative where children can get free seeds at children's libraries in and around Detroit via "Gro-Town Seed Stations". This is in conjunction with the release of her debut garden-themed children's album Motown is Gro-Town.
Beginning Saturday, April 6, children can visit their local Gro-Town Seed Station at participating public libraries to begin their gardening journey. Children can choose 1-2 packets of seeds and take them home to plant. The initiative is designed to motivate children to connect with their food and community through gardening and their community libraries.
Presently 14 libraries are scheduled to host Gro-Town Seed Stations. They include Detroit libraries as well as metro Detroit locations from Garden City to Northville. A complete list of libraries with dates as well as downloadable garden themed coloring pages is at www.gro-town.com and on Facebook.
Guitar in hand, Danielle will be celebrating the launch of the Seed Stations and new album, Motown is Gro-Town, with an acoustic set at Detroit Public Library's Main Branch in the Children's Library Tuesday, April 9 at 10:30 a.m.
Gro-Town Seed Stations offer a vast and exciting variety of fruit and vegetable seeds including conventional, heirloom, and organic seeds such as Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans, Detroit Dark Red Beets, Heirloom Tomatoes and Honeydew Melon. In addition to edible garden seeds, Seed Stations will also offer a wide array of flower seeds including Nasturtium, Amaranth, and Petunias. The seed packets numbering more than 4000 have been donated by Great Lakes ACE Hardware, Bordine's Nursery, and Annie's Heirloom seeds.
The Album Motown is Gro-Town is available at all digital retailers including iTunes and Amazon and offered through Detroit Public Television (Detroit PBS Kids) as their first downloadable pledge gift. All 17 tracks were written, recorded, sung (with the exception of 'Honeybee' sung by local vocal powerhouse Sidi Henderson), and every instrument played by Ms. Carlomusto. The Gro-Town web series of ten minute episodes will begin in early May on Facebook and YouTube.
