CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Family-owned Mustard Seed Market & Cafe has always offered its customers tree seedlings in honor of Earth Day. But this year, on Mustard Seed's 35th birthday, second-generation owners Abraham and Gabe Nabors are giving away 7,200 milkweed plants on Saturday, April 16, in an effort to bring back the bees and butterflies essential to our food supply.

"Did you know one out of every three bites of food eaten worldwide depends on the work of pollinators?" Gabe Nabors said. But last year, according to the Nation Resources Defense Council, 42 percent of U.S. bee colonies collapsed, he said.

"Bees and butterflies play a crucial role in supporting organic agriculture, and pollinators can help save them," he said. Milkweed plants attract and sustain the bees and the butterflies that move pollen from one plant or flower to another.

So Mustard Seed Market & Cafe, Northeast Ohio's largest locally owned organic and natural food market, enlisted Friends of (Summit County) Metro Parks; the United Natural Foods Foundation (UNFI), which funds nonprofits that promote organic agriculture; and the J.M. Smucker Co. of Orrville to give away thousands of milkweed plants and tree seedlings.

J.M. Smucker spokeswoman Maribeth Burns said the company contributed an undisclosed amount to support the event because it celebrates Earth Day and Mustard Seed's anniversary. "Mustard Seed is one of our Smucker Natural Foods customers. They carry our R.W. Knudsen and Santa Cruz Organic items among other products," she said.

The giveaway begins at 9 a.m. at all three Mustard Seed locations:

-- Highland Square: 867 W. Market St., Akron, OH 44303, (330) 434-7333

-- Montrose: 3885 W. Market St., Akron, OH 44333, (330) 666-7333

-- Solon: 6025 Kruse Dr., Solon, OH 44139 (440) 519-3663

Friends of Metro Parks will be at each store to answer questions and help give away the seedlings, while supplies last. Live music, raffles, and birthday-themed food tastings will be provided from noon to 4 p.m.

Margaret and Phillip Nabors, founders of Mustard Seed Market & Cafe

"Our parents started a tradition from the beginning to donate tree seedlings every year to celebrate our birth day and Earth Day," Nabors said. "We are happy to say we have given away over 750,000 trees in our history."

In addition to the milkweed plants, they will also give away 5,000 white oak and white cedar trees that are native to Ohio.

"We set out years ago to change the world by selling the best organic food the earth has to offer," said Gabe's mother, Margaret Nabors, who founded Mustard Seed Market with her husband, Phillip, in 1981, in a statement. "I am proud to say our plot to change the world is working with the apparent growth in the category. We can only continue this journey if we work in harmony with nature. Come see us on April 16th and plant a pollinator to help save the bees & monarchs."

Gabe Nabors said that although the milkweed plants produce pink flowers, "it is a weed, so it's not necessarily something you'd want to plant in your garden. You want to put it somewhere where you don't mind it spreading."

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