By Julie Tomascik
Editor

Educators can help students grow a lifelong interest in agriculture through garden grants available from Texas Farm Bureau (TFB).

The organization’s Learning from the Ground Up Garden Grant Program and Homeschool Garden Grant Program help students make the connection between small-scale gardening and large-scale farming.

“The programs were created to support schools and organizations as they teach students about the sources of their food, fiber and fuel,” 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.”

Involving students in hands-on experiences that garden projects provide helps them better understand agriculture.

Learning from the Ground Up Garden Grant Program
TFB can help students build connections from the school garden to the farm through the Learning from the Ground Up Garden Grant Program.

The program grants up to $500 to a teacher or administrator from a public or private Texas school.

To be eligible, the applicant must be a certified, active PK-12 teacher (all subject areas) teaching in a public school or PK-12 teacher (all subject areas) teaching in an accredited non-public elementary and 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 and secondary educational 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. 25.

Homeschool Garden Grant Program
TFB expanded the garden grant program to include homeschool programs this year.

The Homeschool Garden Grant Program will allow students to make the connection to agriculture through learning what it takes to care for a garden project and relate the project to concepts learned within the curriculum.

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

Applications are due Aug. 18.

Application details
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.

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 are eligible if they are used to teach students about food production.

All applications must include a timeline of the project, a list of community partners and a detailed budget with estimated expenses.

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, 2024.

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