By Shelby Shank
Field Editor

Educators can cultivate a lifelong interest for agriculture in students by utilizing garden grants offered through Texas Farm Bureau (TFB).

The organization’s Learning from the Ground Up Garden Grant Program and Homeschool Garden Grant Program helps students understand the source of their food, fiber and fuel.

“The garden grant programs were created to help students make the connection to agriculture through learning what it takes to care for a garden project,” said Jordan Bartels, TFB associate director of Organization Division, Educational Outreach. “Students can dig into agriculture and cultivate a better understanding of food production and foster a deeper appreciation for how food is grown and for the people who grow it.”

Engaging students in hands-on garden projects provides students with a better understanding and knowledge of agriculture.

Learning from the Ground Up Garden Grant Program
TFB’s Learning from the Ground Up Garden Grant Program enables students to form connections between the school garden to the farm.

The program grants up to $500 to a Texas teacher or administrator.

A limited number of grants will be awarded.

To be eligible, the applicant must be a certified, active PK-12 teacher (all subject areas) teaching in a public school or in an accredited non-public elementary or secondary educational institution. Parent Teacher Associations and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agents directly connected to a class in a public school district or accredited non-public elementary or secondary education institution may apply when the project will directly engage students.

TFB will only accept one grant application per school per grant cycle. For example, an elementary school and a middle school from the same district can each apply, but two applications from the same elementary school cannot be submitted.

Applications are due Sept. 23.

Homeschool Garden Grant Program
The Homeschool Garden Grant Program allows students to make the connection to agriculture through caring for a garden project and relating the project to concepts learned within the curriculum.

The program grants up to $200 to 15 homeschool educators to help grow an understanding of food production and agriculture.

Applications are due Aug. 16.

Application details
Qualifying projects must provide students with hands-on learning about agriculture through the funding of a new garden project or improvements to an existing garden or greenhouse.

Agricultural concepts must be used in instruction. Preference will be given to projects that directly engage students in a hands-on agricultural experience. The project must be science-based in nature to receive consideration.

Aquaponic and hydroponic systems qualify if they are utilized to educate students about food production.

All applications must include a project timeline, a roster of community partners and a comprehensive budget detailing estimated expenses.

Grant recipients will be given half of the awarded funds upon notification of selection. The remaining funds will be awarded in the spring.

Grant recipients will be required to share an update in January 2025 and to file a final report electronically to TFB by June 1, 2025.

Additional information, eligibility guidelines and the application link for both garden grants can be found on the Ag in the Classroom webpage at texasfarmbureau.org/aitc.

Contact TFB’s Educational Outreach team at edoutreach@txfb.org for additional questions.