BACG History Post #62
By 1987, Gardener's Supply had become one of the nation's major mail-order purveyors of gardening supplies and equipment. Founded in 1983 by Will Raap and seven investors, Gardener's Supply was an offshoot of Gardens for All, the nonprofit organization started by Lyman Wood in 1972.
From 1983 to 1986, Gardener's Supply operated from a warehouse at 133 Elm Street in Winooski. In 1986, GSC built a 22,000 square foot warehouse at 128 Intervale Road, on the site of the former John McKenzie Packing Company slaughterhouse.
The new building was financed with a $660,000 loan from the City of Burlington. Raap arranged with the City to set aside an acre of Intervale land to establish a compost project to process leaves and food waste into organic fertilizer. The joint goal was to promote urban gardening and resource conservation.
