Would you plant a garden for a brand?

For a few weeks now, it's been my intention to start a little herb garden on my patio. "Intention" is the operative word here.

Like most things I intend to do, it was relegated to my to-do list. And it stayed there.

But I was reminded of my mission in a somewhat unexpected place - the cookie and cracker aisle of my local Safeway. I noticed the box of Triscuits that I typically buy had changed ever so slightly. The box loudly touted the brand's commitment to the "Home Farming" movement. And to prove that Triscuit is actually serious about the movement (and not just giving idle lip service), they included dill or basil seeds in 4 million boxes of their crunchy little woven crackers.

A little online research revealed more about the brand's promotion. It's part of Kraft and Triscuit's partnership with Urban Farming, a nonprofit that's committed to creating community gardens in unused city lots. To support the effort, the brand has created an fairly robust and well-designed website with videos, a community forum, and home gardening tips.

This partnership is exciting to me. I appreciate that the brand has latched on to a relevant cause, and it has managed to execute it well online. But because my Midwestern roots have made me a slightly biased champion of all things farm and garden, I'm wondering if this marketing effort will resonate with others - or will millions of basil and dill seed packets just go to waste?

Shout out your thoughts on this one - I'd love to hear your perspective.

- posted by Hillary Hempstead