Indoor Garden Grants

Eligibility

The goal is to help high-quality, out-of-school programs extend the season for growing and eating fresh, healthy food with our youngest and neediest Vermonters. Programs and centers applying for the indoor garden units must meet the following criteria:

• The site or program holds a rating of at least two STARS from the Department of Children and Families
• Regularly occuring program activities include nutritional education and hands-on gardening (on or off-site)

Application process

Applications are now closed and these links are inactive.

Step 1.Make sure this grant is a "fit" for your program! Please read through the guidelines and questions to make sure that your program is eligible, and that an indoor garden unit will be useful for you. If so, continue to the next step.

Step 2. Start working on your application. Because the online application doesn't allow you to save and return to your work, it's a good idea to compose your answers offline, then cut and paste into the online survey.

Step 3.. Register for a workshop. Please see "Planning Workshops" section below for more information.

Step 4. Apply for a Vermont Indoor Garden. Deadline for submission is 4pm on Tuesday, March 15th, 2011.

Planning Workshops

Applications are now closed and these links are inactive.

Attending a workshop is strongly recommended for potential applicants. A workshop registration fee of $15 will cover the cost of materials and refreshments. For the networking lunch from noon to 1 p.m., workshop participants are asked to bring their own bag lunch and drink. Participants are also encouraged (though not required) to bring information to share about their site or program, particularly in the form of photos or reports on their nutrition and gardening activities.

Multiple team members from a site or program are encouraged to attend. Participants will learn more about seed starting, indoor gardening, and season extension; receive assistance in preparing a successful application; and connect with and learn from fellow educators and garden organizers.

Workshops will be held in the Burlington area on Thursday, March 3rd and in the Springfield area on Saturday, March 5th. Workshops begin with registration check-in at 9:30 a.m and end at 3:00 p.m. Workshops will be facilitated by Liz Kenton of UVM Extension 4-H, with support from local partners.

Funding support

The indoor gardens are made available through the generosity of the Turrell Fund, founded in 1935 by Herbert and Margaret Turrell. Its principal interest lies in support of organizations that help youth, with special emphasis on the needy youngster. The Fund supports direct services to children, and activities that will contribute to the development of young persons from families that could not afford these services without help. These activities may be educational, vocational, recreational and corrective; they may be programs to provide care and nurture the child. Programs to make such activities available to children with special needs are also eligible. Please visit the Turrell Fund online for complete information.

Newsletters: Updates, Announcements, Calendars, and Opportunities

Grant announcements and program updates will be made through website updates and e-newsletters from UVM Extension's 4-H Youth Agriculture Project and from the Vermont Community Garden Network e-newsletter (published as a free public service by Friends of Burlington Gardens).

To subscribe to the Youth Agriculture Project e-newsletter, send an email to youthagproject@uvm.edu with your name, home or school mailing address, and phone number. You can also subscribe for a print copy by calling 802-257-7967.

To subscribe to the VCGN e-newsletter, send an email to Friends of Burlington Gardens with your name, home or school mailing address, and phone number.