Bonnie Plants Foundation

At Bonnie, we grow more than plants. For over 100 years, we’ve nurtured self-care, change, and community. Join us in growing a future where everyone can enjoy fresh food and deeper connections with the Earth and each other.

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Our Roots

Discover how Bonnie and Livingston Paulk started a humble backyard cabbage patch in 1918 that grew to a national growing operation with 80+ greenhouses across 42 states today.

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How We’re Enhancing Lives Through the Power of Plants

Increasing access to healthy, affordable, and local food

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Connecting the next generation to the benefits of gardening

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Enhancing the communities we operate in

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Promoting associate wellness & engagement

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Increasing access to healthy, affordable, and local food

Find a Pantry at AmpleHarvest.org

The Fight Against Food Waste

65% of gardeners grow more food than they can use, preserve, or share. That’s 11.5 billion pounds of food wasted every year! We teamed up with AmpleHarvest.org to change that.

Turning Excess Into Access

AmpleHarvest.org connects millions of gardeners with 8,300+ participating food pantries nationwide to donate their surplus harvest to food-insecure families in their community.

Small Act, Big Impact

These pantries help nourish one out of six Americans across 5,600+ communities. Since launch, gardeners have donated billions of pounds of produce that would have been wasted!

The Fight Against Food Waste

Since 2020, Bonnie has donated over 50,000 pounds of homegrown produce to AmpleHarvest.org as part of our Grow More Feed More initiative.

Connecting the next generation to the benefits of gardening

Bonnie Cabbage Program

Each year, Bonnie Plants donates 1 million cabbage plants to 3rd graders in 48 states, introducing over 25 million kids (and counting) to the joy
of gardening!

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A True Growth Experience

A $1,000 scholarship is awarded to the student who grows the “best” cabbage in each state, while free (and fun!) educational resources help teachers integrate gardening into lesson plans

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Katie's Krops

After her colossal cabbage fed 275 people at a local soup kitchen, Bonnie Cabbage Program alum Katie Stagliano started Katie’s Krops: a youth-led movement to fight hunger through gardening, with 700,000+ lbs of produce donated to date!

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Auburn Children’s Garden and Pollinator Garden

Bonnie gifted Auburn University $1.2 million to establish a two-acre Children’s Garden and Pollinator Garden within its 16-acre Transformation Garden project, creating a community-focused space to cultivate a love of gardening in young people.

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Enhancing the communities we operate in

Giving Back With Donation Gardens

We’re actively establishing donation gardens at every Bonnie grow station across the country, each dedicated to growing fresh produce for local food pantries, with 35 grow stations actively donating

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Our Impact

We believe growth begins with opportunity, whether it’s the next generation of growers learning where food comes from, a community sharing fresh produce, or associates finding support in times of need. Explore our impact over the past year.

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Our Community Impact in the News

Senior Resident Gets Garden Upgrade After Plants Were Stolen and Destroyed

Veggies for Vets

Bonnie x AmpleHarvest.org

Promoting associate wellness & engagement

Associate Hardship Fund

At Bonnie, we care for our people like family. That’s why we established our Associate Hardship Fund to provide financial assistance to team members facing unexpected emergencies, offering support when it’s needed most.

“I wanted to express my sincere gratitude for the support and generosity in helping me and my family with home repairs following Hurricane Milton.”

“Thank you so much for this! It will help me and my family so much at this time of grieving as we pull through this as a family.”

Bonnie Leadership Program

This six-month program unites participants from across all areas of our company and focuses on a leadership curriculum developed and taught in partnership with Auburn to address real-world opportunities across safety, health & wellness, communication, and more.

Board of Directors

The Bonnie Plants Foundation Board of Directors is united by a shared belief in the power of gardening to change lives. With their leadership and guidance, we are cultivating opportunities that inspire growth, connection, and a healthier future.

Al Cheatham

CEO/President of Bonnie Plants

Justin Funk

College Partnerships

Sara Gordon

President of the Board

Landon Martin

Marketing/Fundraising

Mollie McMillan

Community Engagement/AmpleHarvest.org

Kevin Gray

AFC, College Partnerships

Todd Green

Associate Hardships

Beth Hall

3rd Grade Cabbage Program

Al Cheatham

CEO/President of Bonnie Plants

Justin Funk

College Partnerships

Sara Gordon

President of the Board

Landon Martin

Marketing/Fundraising

Mollie McMillan

Community Engagement/AmpleHarvest.org

Kevin Gray

AFC, College Partnerships

Todd Green

Associate Hardships

Beth Hall

3rd Grade Cabbage Program

Proud to Support Our Communities

Ready to Learn More?

At the Bonnie Plants Foundation, we believe gardening has the power to transform lives. Looking for inspiration to start your own garden? Visit our main website for expert tips, resources, and plants to help you grow wherever you are.

Start Growing