Supporting Emil Anderson Group’s Community Garden in Rosedale

At Kel-Mor, we’re always proud to support local projects that make a real difference in the community.

One of those projects is the community garden at Emil Anderson Group’s office in Rosedale, where fresh produce is grown and donated to the Chilliwack Salvation Army to help support local people facing food insecurity.

This year, Kel-Mor donated another truckload of Planter Blend topsoil to help the garden continue growing through the 2026 season.

It’s the second time we’ve supported the project with donated soil, and we’re proud to play a small part in helping it thrive.

A Community Garden with a Purpose

We recently met with Bob, Road Foreman in Emil Anderson Group’s maintenance division, and Jessica, Corporate Safety Lead, to learn more about the garden and the people behind it.

The garden first began in March 2024 and is now entering its third growing season in 2026.

It was created as part of Emil Anderson Group’s wider community give-back efforts and their support of the Salvation Army’s Plant a Row initiative, which encourages people to grow extra produce for donation.

The produce grown in the garden is donated to the Chilliwack Salvation Army’s Pantry, where fresh food is made available to local people in need, including seniors, newcomers, families, and others in the community facing food insecurity.

Speaking with Bob and Jessica was a reminder that there are more people in need than many of us realise. Their passion for the project and their commitment to giving back made a real impression on us.

Why Kel-Mor Got Involved

Emil Anderson Group has been a long-time customer, using our materials for a range of projects over the years.

Through that relationship, Bob knew Kel-Mor would be the right partner to ask when the community garden needed topsoil.

He reached out to Spencer, our VP, and we were more than happy to help.

We first donated topsoil to the project in 2024, and that soil supported both the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons.

This year, we donated another load of topsoil to help the team prepare for a new season of planting and harvesting.

It’s a partnership we’re proud of, and one that reflects shared values around community support, practical help, and local relationships.

Small Garden, Big Impact

Even though the garden currently has just two raised grow beds, the results have been impressive.

In its first growing year in 2024, Emil Anderson Group donated just over 300 pounds of fresh produce to the Chilliwack Salvation Army. In 2025, that number grew to just under 450 pounds.

That says a lot.

It shows that even a relatively small growing space can make a meaningful difference when it’s cared for consistently, with good planning, and with the right materials.

The team shared that the produce has done exceptionally well in Kel-Mor’s topsoil, with plants growing huge and harvests coming in strong throughout the season. They described our topsoil as “black gold,” which we were very happy to hear.

They also noted one unexpected benefit of using our topsoil: very little weeding.

What They’re Growing

The garden grows a variety of produce throughout the season, with crops changing depending on the weather and what is most useful for donation.

So far, the garden has produced vegetables including radishes, beets, chard, leeks, cucumbers, cabbage, squash, zucchini, and dill.

Because the Salvation Army already receives regular donations of some produce such as potatoes and bell peppers, the Emil Anderson Group team focuses on growing other crops that can help round out what is available.

Multiple times each season, the harvested produce is delivered to the Salvation Army for donation.

Built With Community in Mind

The raised garden beds were funded through Emil Anderson Group’s community give-back program, and the team has also invested in irrigation and other features to help the garden succeed.

Jessica also shared a great gardening tip during our visit: the marigolds planted among the vegetables are not just there for colour. They can also help deter certain insects and protect the crops.

That kind of thoughtful detail says a lot about the care that has gone into the project.

Jessica also shared that she chairs Emil Anderson Group’s Community Give-back Committee for the Fraser Valley and North region, with Bob also serving on the committee. Together, their team reviews requests for support and helps decide which local initiatives the company will back.

A Great Example for the Chilliwack Community

What we especially loved about this project is that it doesn’t just help through direct donations. It also sets an example.

Emil Anderson Group has supported the Plant a Row initiative not only through its partnership with the Salvation Army, but by leading by example and growing produce at its own office for donation.

It’s a powerful reminder that helping the community doesn’t always require a huge farm or a major operation.

Sometimes it can be as simple as planting an extra row in your garden, adding a few produce plants to your yard, or donating part of your harvest to someone who needs it.

In a place like Chilliwack, where growing conditions are so strong, even a small effort can produce a meaningful return for the community.

Proud To Support Great Local Partners

At Kel-Mor, we love working with passionate people who care about making a difference. Bob, Jessica, and the Emil Anderson Group team have created something thoughtful, practical, and genuinely helpful for local people.

We’re proud to support the project with donated topsoil, and we’re proud to work alongside a long-time partner that shares our commitment to community.

Projects like this inspire us too. Seeing what can come from just a couple of raised beds has us thinking about how we can continue contributing in meaningful ways ourselves.

We look forward to catching up with Bob and Jessica again later this summer to see how the garden is going this season!

Visit Emil Anderson Group for more information. If you're thinking about investing in your own raised beds visit GrowBoxx.

All photos courtesy of Jessica McWilliams, Corporate Safety Lead at Emil Anderson Group.

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