Kentucky School Garden Planning Guide
Developed by the California School Garden Network - with our Kentucky twist - this guide takes you through all the questions you should answer and resources you will need to make a garden-based program work. And the solution for you may be a a few container gardens in your classroom.
How-To Gardening Resources for Kentucky and Surrounding Regions
We’ve compiled several resources from various Cooperative Extension experts in the region.
Technical and Additional Curriculum Support
Contact your local Cooperative Extension Office
Funding & Grant Support
Kentucky Agricultural Development Board Community Garden Funding
Guidelines | Application - Questions? Call (502) 782-0282Kentucky Farm Bureau Mini-Grants
Contact your county Kentucky Farm Bureau office to see if they are offering this program.Kentucky Horticulture Council Garden Mini-Grants
The Kentucky Farm to School Network is excited to invite Kentucky PreK to 12th-grade schools to apply for a school garden mini-grant opportunity. Five schools will receive $5,000 to establish school gardens and implement nutrition and cooking education using the produce grown in the school gardens.Kentucky Farm to School Network Taste Teste Mini-Grants
The Kentucky Farm to School Network is excited to invite Kentucky preK – 12 grade schools and community partners (including farmers) to apply for a taste-testing mini-grant opportunity. Forty (40) grantees will receive mini-grants of $1000 for students to try Kentucky-grown produce, increase their understanding of where food comes from, and connect with farmers. The grant period will be from October 2022 until the end of May 2023.
Deadline: September 16CHS Foundation - Classroom Grants
CHS Foundation provides $500 grants each year to Pre-K-12 teachers with classroom projects that use agricultural concepts to teach reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and more. Eligible projects include classroom and schoolyard gardens, embryology projects, aquaculture projects, and agricultural literacy reading programs to name a few. Deadline - Sept. 15USDA Turnkey Farm-to-School Edible Garden
Program Deadline: Fall/Winter 2022
Funding Amounts: Up to $50,000. Eligible Entities: Schools, agriculture producers or groups of agriculture producers, nonprofits, and state and local agencies.
Overview: This grant supports planning, developing, and implementing farm-to-school programs.USDA Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants (SPECA)
Deadline: Spring 2023.
Funding Amounts: Varies, depending on a grant written
Eligible Entities: Public schools and nonprofits
Overview: NIFA offers a variety of grants that promote education in the food and agricultural sciences.EPA Environmental Education Local Grants
Program Deadline: Winter 2022
Funding Amounts: up to $100,000; requires 25% non-federal cost share
Eligible Entities: Local education agencies, state education or environmental agency, college or university, nonprofits, and tribal education agencies
Overview: Approximately 30-35 Environmental Education Local Grants were awarded in 2021. The primary purpose of these grants is to promote locally focused, sound environmental stewardship through educational projects. Projects should provide education and training to students enrolled in primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Community gardens fit within the criteria for this grant if education is the project’s focus, but it cannot fund construction.The Kroger Co.: Zero Hunger/Zero Waste Foundation
Deadline: On-going, reviewed every quarter
Funding Amounts: Various forms of awards: cash donations, sponsorships, gift cards, or product donation
Eligible Entities: 501c3 registered nonprofit organizations, confirmed through Guidestar Charity Check. Mentions having a Kroger in your community.
Overview: Projects must align with the mission of creating communities free of hunger and waste with an emphasis on improving nutrition education and access to healthier foods. Kroger also has a donation platform tied to their shopper rewards program. Shoppers select an organization for Kroger to donate to and link the organization to their rewards card. Kroger then donates to the organization on an annual basis.Whole Kids Foundation Garden Grants
Deadline: Spring 2023
Funding Amounts: $3,000
Eligible Entities: Must be a charter or public school, or nonprofit serving children in the K-12 range
Overview: The Garden Grant program provides a $3,000 monetary grant to support a new or existing edible educational garden at either a: K–12 School, 501(c)(3) Non-profit working in partnership with a K–12 school, or a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.Project Orange Thumb- fiskars.com
