Official Kids Mag

State School Garden Manager of the Farm to School and Early Childhood Education Program. "Often, lack of funding is one of the biggest barriers that keeps a school from starting a garden, so the offer of a grant program specifically designed to fund school gardens in Arkansas was met with a lot of gratitude and excitement. Schools were eager to put their plans and dreams for their gardens into action." The timing of the grants could not have been better as schools were able to begin planning and working on their garden projects during the winter, so they would be ready to start planting in the spring and could benefit from the grant before summer vacation. Many grantees combined the money with other funds and community support in the form of donations, supplies, and technical assistance with their gardening projects. "There were many different and awesome plans for how schools were going to use their funding," Davis said. "Some of the schools that received grants have had gardens for many years and some of them were just starting out. Both start-up and existing gardens had a variety of ideas for using the money." Pine Bluff High School and White Hall High School each have used the grant to partially fund the installation of an aquaponics system in partnership with the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Aquaponics is a type of food production system where fish are used to help create nutrient rich water that helps grow other vegetables. Another example of how schools are using their grant funding comes from Charleston Middle School, where in the last few years the school has focused on growing strawberries because they can be harvested when students are still in school during April and May. The school plans to use the grant to expand their strawberry patch. Eastside Elementary School in Greenbrier installed new garden beds with help from local high school students and planted multiple kinds of vegetables in the beds including squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes. "Reaching out to community members is always a good idea at any stage of developing a school garden, because often people are more than willing to donate materials, time, and expertise," Davis said. Meanwhile, Kiddie Kollege, a child care center in Alma, said they hope to use the grant to expand their program with native plants, vertical planters, and new tools. In a short period of time the grant program has provided a boost to school gardens around the state, with the hope that more schools will have a chance in the future. "Our grant funds are like the seed that is planted within the school and community," Lane said. "It is easier to ask for donations from local businesses, connect with community partners, and apply for additional funding because there is a foundation to lean on." In total, there are over 310 gardens at schools, child care centers, and alternative learning environments in Arkansas. The Arkansas School Garden Grant Program continues to help that number grow by providing funding and technical assistance to learning environments across the state. Arkansas Grown School Garden of the Year Contest The Arkansas Grown School Garden of the Year Contest was initiated by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and the Farm Credit Associations of Arkansas in 2014. The program provides the opportunity to promote the importance of involving young people in the process of fresh food production and cultivation. Farm Credit generously provides the funding for program award recipients. The 2021 Contest opened on April 19, 2021 but there's still time to enter! If you are an early childhood education facility, a school, or an alternative learning space, you can apply for funding by filling out our application. The application can be made until June 6, 2021. For more information, visit: https://bit.ly/3fepwPW Application: https://bit. ly/34cRt4o Good luck! www.officialkidsMag.com • June 2021 • 45 Name: Kids Mag 4 x 2" Customer Name: FLOWERS N FRIENDS Ad Number: 053021NWR9181 479-846-2137 www.flowersnfriends.com Best of Northwest Arkansas the We Deliver in Northwest Arkansas Gifts for Dad...…… Of course!

• Cover