Demeter is one of the 12 Olympian gods in Greek mythology. She is the goddess of fertility, vegetation and grain. Her Roman counterpart is Ceres, who inspires the word cereal. She taught mankind the basics of farm-based agriculture - the art of sowing and plowing fields. She was sometimes worshipped as a divinity of health, birth, and marriage, as well.
Demeter is perhaps best remembered as the goddess whose daughter was stolen away and forced to marry Hades, god of the Underworld. The mother was so grief stricken that she neglected her care of the earth and allowed it to become barren, as a reflection of her loss. The gods finally agreed upon a compromise in which Demeter could have her daughter for one half of the year and Hades could have her the other half. This is the mythological explanantion of the seasons: the earth bursts forth with flora and fauna when she is happy, and withers when she is sad.
We chose Demeter as our symbol because we recognize the cyclical nature of life and desire a workplace that is flexible enough to embrace its employees through their ups and downs. We also like that she empowered humans to grow their food and build security, instead of relying on the hunt where violence prevailed.
Demeter's sacred bird is the turtle dove, a symbol of love and peace.