Our Story
The phrase OD green is a military term referring to the olive drab color of most standard issued equipment. OD Greens' mission is to provide the military veteran population with an experiential learning and work training environment, that inspires a healthy shift toward personal change, community growth, sustainability, and the mechanisms necessary to cope with setbacks, triumphs, and challenges presented in everyday life.
Owner, Don Tobul grew up in Leroy, Ohio just 35 minutes from downtown Cleveland. As a youth, he was involved in 4-H and expressed strong interests in gardening, agriculture, and the sciences. This interest and passion led him to formal training as a high school chemistry and physics teacher at Bowling Green State University where he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Science Education. During his time at BGSU, he was also a member of the Ohio Army National Guard. Following the attacks on September 11th 2001, Don ultimately found himself on active duty in Iraq from January 2004 through March 2005. His own experiences in Iraq, and working with friends in the military, steered him in a new direction altogether. Don began working on his Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at John Carroll University in 2010 and finished that program in 2013 following an internship at the Cleveland Clinic. Don envisions OD Greens as the perfect combination of all of his life experiences with the potential to help more than individual people; OD Greens is an opportunity for him to give back to the community that has supported him throughout his life.
We hope that our “hyperlocal” hydroponic greens and herbs will be available at restaurants and markets in the greater Cleveland area late winter/early spring 2019. If you are interested in purchasing or using our produce on your menu, please contact Don at ODGreensDon@gmail.com and visit our webpage odgreens.com. Thank you!