It's been just over 5 years since a group of kids from Halifax appeared on Dragons' Den to introduce the country to their fresh herb salad dressings.
Now their product is carried at Atlantic Superstores across the province and the youth of Hope Blooms have put together a book telling their story.
The non-profit organization was founded in 2008 by Jessie Jollymore, a dietitian at the North End Community Health Centre.
She thought it would be a good idea for the children of the community to know where their food comes from.
"We were going on grocery store tours and things like that, but we were being followed around by security guards and the kids were 7 and 8 years old," she told NEWS 95.7's The Sheldon MacLeod Show. "It was my first big experience with discrimination."
"When we had a talk on that, we thought someday we're going to come out with something where they are going to create something from nothing and have an impact on the world."
Listen to Sheldon MacLeod's conversation with Jessie Jollymore:
Hope Blooms started with the kids cleaning up and abandoned plot to grow tomatoes which they turned into salsa.
The next year, they grew more vegetables and used them to make preserves which they sold at the market.
In 2010, they planted herbs and expanded into dressings.
But Jollymore said it was the TV appearance that showed the kids they could be a positive force for change.
"Their confidence grew. They started really thinking about what they were going to do with their post-secondary and what kind of impact they were going to have in their world and their communities long term."
One of the six children who appeared on the Dragons' Den episode helped write the book Hope Blooms : Plant a Seed, Harvest a Dream.
Mamadou Wade is now studying business at the University of Toronto.
"He won the TD award for community leadership, so he won $70,000 towards his education and with our dressings being in Superstores ... the youth get $3,000 every year they're in post-secondary, all from the sale from the dressings."
Wade continues to give back to the community.
He spent his summer working with the youth on the book. He also put together a group to make sure alumni of the program stay in touch and mentor the younger kids.
Hope Blooms is now working on a new project.
They've partnered with a co-op that helps single mothers in Senegal to launch their Possibili-teas.
"It's a hibiscus, blueberry and spearmint-based tea, and another one with a green and dandelion flower tea," Jollymore explained. "We're paying double fair trade to the women in Senegal, and we're also putting 100 per cent of proceeds back into helping other vulnerable communities start food-based initiatives."
A book launch for Hope Blooms : Plant a Seed, Harvest a Dream will be held Tuesday night at the Halifax North Memorial Public Library.
Those who show up for the 6 p.m. event can meet the authors, enjoy live music and taste recipes included in the book.
