September 20, 2024
How a Converted School Bus In Mount Dora Became Ellie Creigh’s Mobile Classroom
By Kyle Coppola
How a Converted School Bus In Mount Dora Became Ellie Creigh’s Mobile Classroom
MOUNT DORA, FL—Ellie Creigh’s passion for gardening didn’t come naturally—at least not at first. What began as a small backyard hobby quickly turned into a vital part of her life, both for its practical use and its potential to feed her family when money was tight. Now, after eight years of dedication, learning, and perseverance, Ellie proudly operates The Growcery Store, offering unique classes to help others grow their own food.
(The old bus that Ellie turned into her business.)
Everything Ellie grows is organic—free of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and chemical fertilizers—and grown right in Mount Dora. Her business is an education hub for people interested in gardening and sustainable living. Whether you’re looking for gardening classes, arts and crafts, foodie events, or essential oil workshops, The Growcery Store has something for everyone. And for those who can’t make it to her converted 2008 Thomas school bus classroom, Ellie offers at-home edible landscaping consultations, teaching you how to grow food in your own backyard.
Her journey to The Growcery Store wasn’t a direct one. Ellie graduated from The Paul Mitchell School of Cosmetology with plans to become a hairstylist but quickly put those dreams on hold after falling pregnant. “Being a full-time mom ate up nearly every second of my life for the first few years,” Ellie shares. “But in my few moments of downtime, I started gardening. It was a hobby I wasn’t very good at, but every time something died, I learned what not to do next time.”
(The 2008 Thomas Converted School Bus is one of the most unique bus conversions I have seen.)
Through trial and error, Ellie improved her gardening skills and realized the value of growing her own food when times got tough. As a single mother, Ellie knew she needed to make this hobby into something that could help support her family. “I started taking my hobby more seriously because that hobby could make us food, and that’s important when money is tight.”
This marked the beginning of her garden installation business, where she helps others transform their backyards into food-producing gardens. But she quickly realized that just installing gardens wasn’t enough. People needed education to maintain their gardens successfully. That’s when she had the innovative idea to convert an old school bus into a mobile classroom, bringing education and inspiration to the community.
Now, The Growcery Store is a hub for education, and creativity. Ellie is excited to continue helping her community “grow,” one backyard at a time. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a complete beginner, Ellie is here to guide you on your journey toward sustainable, homegrown living.
For more information on classes or at-home consultations, visit The Growcery Store in this link and meet Ellie in her school bus classroom or the comfort of your own backyard. She’s ready to help you grow your food and transform your space into an edible oasis. 🌱 We will also be doing a Full feature on Ellie in the coming months in our Healthy Living Magazine in January so look out for that. It will be a terrific feature that will give tips and tricks to Florida gardening.
You can find Ellie usually parked at 21612 US-441, Mount Dora, Florida 32757. She also does pop-up-shops around our county so make sure to follow her on facebook to find out where she will be next!
Photo Credit – The Growcery Store
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
