NEW CASTLE (Nov. 9, 2022) – The annual holiday in-person sale of poinsettias grown at the greenhouse on the Department of Health and Social Services’ Herman Holloway Campus near New Castle begins Nov. 28 and runs through Dec. 22.

The greenhouse is operated by Bright Spot Urban Farm, a program operated by West End Neighborhood House in Wilmington. The Department of Health and Social Services has an agreement with West End to operate the greenhouse and gardens on the Herman Holloway Campus. Proceeds from the sale of the nearly 3,000 poinsettias grown this season will help support youth programs at West End.

Available in red, white, pink and multiple specialty colors, the 6.5-inch pots are $9.50 each or $10 for specialty colors (including Maroon, Green Envy, Marblestar, Dark Pink, Christmas Mouse, Golden Glo, Winter Rose Red, Superba Glitter, Tapestry and Viking Cinnamon). For orders of more than 25 plants, the price is $8.50 per plant. Plants in the 8-inch pots come in red, white and a mix of red and white, and cost $30 each. There is also a smaller 4.5-inch pot (table-top size) for $4.50 each. It comes in red, white, Golden Glo, Viking Cinnamon, Princettia Hot Pink and Tapestry. Gift tags are also available to purchase for $1 each.

The prices include a foil wrapping on the pot in gold, green, or red foil. Delivery is a flat fee of $9 within a 20-mile radius of the greenhouse, no matter the number of plants. Orders can be made online using the order form at brightspotfarms.org/shopholidays.

Bright Spot Urban Farm believes in the power of farming to transform people through building confidence and fostering leadership. The program provides paid training in agriculture and horticulture for high school students with the objective to heal and empower young people by rooting farming in an ethic of community service.

Students participate in one or more three-month sessions during which they learn about different aspects of production, marketing, and sales in addition to conflict resolution, problem-solving and public speaking. Students selected to continue for a second year receive leadership training and coach and mentor new students in the program.

“This is always an exciting and beautiful time of year at the DHSS greenhouse thanks to the hard work of the young people who grow and harvest flowers, plants, vegetables and poinsettias,” DHSS Secretary Molly Magarik said. “We are incredibly appreciative of this partnership with West End Neighborhood House and the impact it has on our community.”

The greenhouse is on the Herman Holloway Campus, 1901 N. DuPont Highway (U.S. 13) and is open to the public. Follow the signs for the greenhouse. The greenhouse will be open for walk-in sales Nov. 28 to Dec. 22. The hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays. The greenhouse will be closed on Sundays. Bright Spot accepts cash, check or credit card.

For more information, call 302-255-2993. To place orders online, go to the Bright Spot Urban Farm website.

NEW CASTLE (Nov. 23, 2021) – The annual holiday in-person sale of poinsettias grown at the greenhouse on the Department of Health and Social Services’ Herman Holloway Campus near New Castle begins Nov. 29 and runs through Dec. 22.

The greenhouse is operated by Bright Spot Urban Farm, a program operated by West End Neighborhood House in Wilmington. The Department of Health and Social Services has an agreement with West End to operate the greenhouse and gardens on the Herman Holloway Campus. Proceeds from the sale of the nearly 3,500 poinsettias grown this season will help support youth programs at West End.

Available in red, white, pink and multiple specialty colors, the 6.5-inch pots are $9.50 each or $10 for specialty colors (including Viking Cinnamon, Winter Rose Dark Red, Prestige Maroon, Superba Glitter, Golden Glo, Alpha White and Hot Pink). For orders of more than 25 plants, the price is $8.50 per plant. Plants in the 8.5-inch pots come in red, white and a mix of red and white, and cost $30 each. There is also a smaller 4.5-inch pot (table-top size) for $4.50 each. It comes in red, white, Golden Glo, Cinnamon, Princettia Hot Pink, Princettia Pink and Pure White. Gift tags are also available to purchase for $1 each.

The prices include a foil wrap on the pot. Delivery is a flat fee of $9 within a 20-mile radius of the greenhouse, no matter the number of plants. Orders can be made online using the order form at brightspotfarms.org/shopholidays.

Bright Spot Urban Farm believes in the power of farming to transform people through building confidence and fostering leadership. The program provides paid training in agriculture and horticulture for high school students with the objective to heal and empower young people by rooting farming in an ethic of community service.

“Bright Spot Farms provides hands-on training for New Castle County high school-aged youth throughout the spring, summer and fall growing seasons,” said Ruth Arias, program director at Bright Spot. “Training focuses on agriculture, horticulture and landscaping. A selection of the youth participates in leadership training. The training consists of weekly classes focusing on public speaking, team-building, food insecurity, botany and other topics that will build them up to become future leaders of the program. The youth’s work has supported growing produce this year for over 110 families.”

Students participate in one or more three-month sessions during which they learn about different aspects of production, marketing, and sales in addition to conflict resolution, problem-solving and public speaking. Students selected to continue for a second year receive leadership training and coach and mentor new students in the program.

“We are grateful for the employment training and leadership program for youth that West End Neighborhood House operates on our Herman Holloway Campus,” DHSS Secretary Molly Magarik said. “And we are excited each year to support the sales of flowers, plants, vegetables and poinsettias that the young people grow and harvest. For DHSS, this is the essence of community.”

The greenhouse is on the Herman Holloway Campus, 1901 N. DuPont Highway (U.S. 13) and is open to the public. Follow the signs for the greenhouse. The greenhouse will be open for walk-in sales Nov. 29 to Dec. 22. The hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. The greenhouse will be closed on Sundays. Bright Spot accepts cash, check or credit card.

For more information, call 302-255-2993. To place orders online, go to Bright’s Spot website.

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The Department of Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of life of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.

NEW CASTLE (Nov. 23, 2020) – The annual holiday sale of poinsettias grown at the greenhouse on the Department of Health and Social Services’ Herman Holloway Campus near New Castle begins today (Nov. 23) and runs through Dec. 22.

The greenhouse is operated by Bright Spot Urban Farm and proceeds from the sale of the nearly 1,800 poinsettias grown this season will help support its youth programs. Bright Spot Farms was founded by West End Neighborhood House in Wilmington.

Available in red, white, pink and multiple specialty colors, the 6.5-inch pots are $9.50 each or $10 for specialty colors (Maroon, Marble Star, Princettia Hot Pink, Princettia Pink, Princettia Pure White, Green Envy, Golden Glo, Winter Rose, Ice Punch, Ice Crystal, Glitter and Cinnamon). For orders of more than 25 plants, the price is $8.50 for each plant. Plants in the 8.5-inch pots come in red, white and a mix of red and white, and cost $30 each. The larger plants in the 10-inch pots come in red or white and cost $35 each. There is also a smaller 4.5-inch pot (table-top size) for $5 each. It comes in red, white, Golden Glo, Cinnamon, Princettia Hot Pink, Princettia Pink and Princettia Pure White.

The prices include a foil wrap on the pot. Delivery is a flat fee of $7 in New Castle County, no matter the number of plants.

“Despite COVID, we have been very lucky to continue to provide a safe outdoor space for paid training for our students,” said Sindhu Siva, program director at Bright Spot Farms. “The opportunity to learn new skills and be around peers in a socially distant way, all while earning money, has been even more critical for our students and their families this year. And the work of our youth apprentices supported growing produce for over 80 families in need this summer.”

Bright Spot Farms provides paid hands-on training in agriculture and horticulture for high school students. Bright Spot believes in the power of farming to transform people through building confidence and fostering leadership. The program’s objective is to heal and empower young people gram by rooting farming in an ethic of community service.

Students participate in one or more three-month sessions during which they learn about different aspects of production, marketing, and sales in addition to conflict resolution, problem-solving and public speaking. Students selected to continue for a second year receive leadership training, and coach and mentor new students in the program.

DHSS partners with West End by providing the greenhouse and garden space on the Herman Holloway Campus, 1901 N. DuPont Highway (U.S. 13). The greenhouse will be open for walk-in sales Nov. 23 to Nov 25 and Nov. 30 to Dec. 22. The hours are noon to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. The greenhouse will be closed on Sundays. Bright Spot accepts cash, check or credit card. Follow the signs on the Holloway Campus to get to the greenhouse.

“We feel thankful that our customers have continued to support us through COVID by continuing to shop with us online,” Siva said. “Their purchases support us to continue serving our students, their families, and so many more in the community. We encourage customers to check out our inventory online and take advantage of our online ordering and delivery system to order holiday plants and our honey for themselves or loved ones this winter.”

Orders can be made online using the order form found at brightspotfarms.org/shop. For more information, call 302-255-2993.

NEW CASTLE (Nov. 25, 2019) – The annual holiday sale of poinsettias grown at the greenhouse on the Department of Health and Social Services’ Herman Holloway Campus near New Castle will begin Dec. 2 and run through Dec. 21.

The greenhouse is operated by Bright Spot Urban Farm and proceeds from the sale of the nearly 1,800 poinsettias grown this season will help support its youth programs. Bright Spot Farms was founded by West End Neighborhood House in Wilmington.

Available in red, white, pink and multiple specialty colors, the 6.5-inch pots are $9.50 each or $10 for specialty colors (Maroon, Ice Punch, Marble Star, Princettia Hot Pink, Princettia Pink, Golden Glo, Winter Rose Red, Sparkling Punch, Ice Crystal, White Glitter and Ruby Frost). For orders of more than 25 plants, the price is $8.50 for each plant. Plants in the 8-inch pots come in red, white and a mix of red and white, and cost $30 each. The larger plants in the 10-inch pots come in red or white and cost $35 each. There is also a smaller 4.5-inch pot (table-top size) for $4.50 each. It comes in red, white, Ice Crystal, Ice Punch, Ruby Frost, Gold Rush and Sparkling Punch.

The prices include a choice of gold, red or green foil wrap on the pot. Delivery is a flat fee of $7 in New Castle County, no matter the number of plants.

“Our students are gaining exposure to and learning skills in a field that many of them never considered as a career, while also learning valuable lessons about teamwork and discovering new capacities they didn’t realize they had,” said Sindhu Siva, program director at Bright Spot Farms. “All of this is made possible by incredible customers who know the sale of our products goes toward supporting our youth programs. We encourage you to come out to the greenhouse to check out our poinsettias and learn more about our students and the programs we offer.”

Bright Spot Farms provides paid hands-on training in agriculture and horticulture for high school students. Bright Spot believes in the power of farming to transform people through building confidence and fostering leadership. The program’s objective is to heal and empower young people gram by rooting farming in an ethic of community service.

Students participate in one or more three-month sessions during which they learn about different aspects of production, marketing, and sales in addition to conflict resolution, problem-solving and public speaking. Students selected to continue for a second year receive leadership training and coach and mentor new students in the program.

The greenhouse is on the Herman Holloway Campus, 1901 N. DuPont Highway (U.S. 13) and is open to the public. Follow the signs for the greenhouse. The greenhouse will be open for walk-in sales Dec. 2 to Dec. 21. The hours are noon to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. The greenhouse will be closed on Sundays. Bright Spot accepts cash, check or credit card.

Orders can be made online using the order form found at https://www.brightspotfarms.org/poinsettias or by emailing brighstpotventures@gmail.com. For more information, call 302-255-2993.

NEW CASTLE (Nov. 29, 2018) – The annual holiday sale of poinsettias grown at the greenhouse on the Department of Health and Social Services’ Herman Holloway Campus near New Castle will begin Dec. 3 and run through Dec. 20.

The greenhouse is operated by Bright Spot Urban Farm and proceeds from the sale of the 1,800 poinsettias grown this season will help support young people aging out of foster care. Bright Spot Farms was founded by West End Neighborhood House in Wilmington.

Available in red, white, pink and multiple specialty colors, the 6.5-inch pots are $9 each or $9.50 for specialty colors (Maroon, Ice Punch, Marble Star, Luv U Hot Pink, Sparkling Punch, Peppermint Ruffles, Ice Crystal, Cinnamon, Christmas Beauty Queen and Gold Rush). For orders of more than 25 plants, the price is $8 for each plant. The larger plants in the 10-inch pots come in red, white and a mix of red and white, and cost $30 each. The price includes a choice of the foil wrap on the pot (gold, red or green) and a plastic sleeve. Delivery is a flat fee of $7 in New Castle County, no matter the number of plants. In Kent County, delivery is $10.

“We encourage you to come out to the greenhouse,” said Sindhu Siva, program director at Bright Spot Farms. “All the sales that we do go back into supporting our youth programs. So come out, buy your poinsettias and while you’re here you can meet some of the young people helping to grow these plants.”

The Bright Spot Farms program includes up to nine months of training with an emphasis on soft skills such as punctuality, conflict resolution, a strong work ethic, and on business-related job and financial skills such as using a cash register and maintaining inventory. The program also teaches horticultural skills through a curriculum developed by program staff and approved by the Delaware Nursery & Landscape Association. As part of the program, youth have the opportunity to obtain a food handlers’ certificate issued by Delaware’s Department of Agriculture.

The greenhouse is on the Herman Holloway Campus, 1901 N. DuPont Highway (U.S. 13) and is open to the public. Follow the signs for the greenhouse. The greenhouse will be open for walk-in sales Dec. 3-20. The hours are noon-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturdays. The greenhouse will be closed on Sundays. Bright Spot accepts cash, check or credit card.

Orders can be made online using the order form at Bright Spot’s website or by emailing brighstpotventures@gmail.com. For more information, call 302-255-2993. See more photos on the DHSS Flickr site.