WGA Donates for More School Gardens
Western Growers Foundation presented
fifty Arizona K-12 schools with $75,000 in grant money to create and sustain
their own edible gardens. Each school
received $1,500. The grants were
provided through the Arizona Department of Agriculture as part of the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant. Pending
completion of paperwork, the schools will receive their funds by the end of
this month.
Western
Growers Foundation was created by Western Growers members as a way to give back to their
communities. The Foundation’s mission is to plant and sustain a fruit and
vegetable garden in every willing Arizona and California school.
Edible school gardens give children
the opportunity to learn where their food comes from and the importance of good
nutrition. The school gardens program is an important educational tool
that Western Growers Foundation uses to promote good nutrition to our
schoolchildren in Arizona and California.
“It’s staggering to think that the
majority of children go without eating even one serving of fruits and
vegetables a day when they should be having 5-9 servings,” said Paula Olson,
vice president of marketing at Western Growers, who oversees the Foundation’s
Edible School Gardens project. “Coupled with the fact that 30% of U.S. children
are obese and half are overweight, it’s imperative that we do all we can to
promote healthy living.”
The Edible School Gardens Program is
open to all K-12 schools, both public and private, in Arizona. Western Growers Foundation is expecting a new
round of grants to be announced by the end of this year. “If schools are interested in participating,
we encourage them to watch the Foundation’s website http://www.westerngrowersfoundation.org/ for the announcement,” Olson added.
Labels: Arizona Schools, Gardens, K-12, Paula Olson, Western Growers Foundation, WGA Donates for More School Gardens