By Julie Tomascik
Editor
Small-scale gardening and large-scale farming have much in common, and Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) Learning from the Ground Up Garden Grant program helps students make that connection.
The grant was created to support schools and organizations as they teach students about the sources of their food, fiber and fuel.
“Students can dig into agriculture and cultivate a better understanding of food production with the help of TFB’s garden grants,” said Jordan Bartels, TFB associate director of Organization Division, Educational Outreach. “Teachers can connect gardening to growing crops on a larger scale and help foster a deeper appreciation for how food is grown and for the people who grow it.”
The program grants up to $500 to a teacher or administrator from a public or private Texas school. Bartels noted some county Farm Bureaus may offer matching funds.
Qualifying projects provide students with hands-on, experiential learning about agriculture through the funding of a new garden project or improvements to an existing garden or greenhouse.
Aquaponic and hydroponic systems are eligible if they are used to teach students about food production.
“Food production and learning truly happens here, there and everywhere,” Bartels said.
To be eligible, the applicant must be a teacher or administrator of any Texas PK-12 school, either public or private. Parent Teacher Associations or other organizations may apply when the project will directly engage students.
The grant is not open to homeschool groups or individual homeschool families.
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.
If an agricultural science teacher is applying for the grant, the project must incorporate elementary or junior high students (i.e., those not already enrolled in agricultural courses) into the project in some capacity as to increase agricultural literacy outside of general agricultural courses.
High school educators teaching courses other than agricultural science courses are eligible to apply.
All applications must include a timeline of the project, a list of community partners and a detailed budget with estimated expenses.
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.
Grant checks will be made payable to the school or organization, not to an individual.
Grant recipients will be given half of the awarded funds upon notification of selection, and the remaining funds will be awarded in the spring.
Grant recipients will be required to share updates and to file a final report electronically, which will be due to TFB by June 1, 2023.
TFB strongly encourages grant recipients to submit photos in electronic form, as well as appropriate photo releases. The organization reserves the right to partially fund grant requests, and a limited number of grants will be awarded.
Click here to apply. Applications must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 14.
For more information, visit texasfarmbureau.org/aitc.
For questions, contact Bartels at 254-751-2569 or edoutreach@txfb.org.