Annie’s® Grows Its ‘Gardens Of Goodness’ Initiative With Support Of FoodCorps Fellows

Grants for Gardens and Sustainable Agriculture Scholarship applications are also available as part of Annie’s ongoing commitment to school gardens

Oct 01, 2012 – as a seed funder and anchor sponsor of FoodCorps’ first crop of Fellows, Annie’s is helping FoodCorps make a significant impact on childhood obesity and food insecurity, as well as making possible:

  • Garden-enhanced nutrition education in schools;
  • Building and tending to gardens that serve as tools for engaging children to become more adventurous eaters, and for engaging parents and community members to become advocates for healthier school lunch;
  • Greater access to healthy food for kids and families both inside and outside the school environment; and
  • Stronger communities through the recruitment, training and placement of community volunteers committed to long-term sustainability of the healthy food environments Annie’s and FoodCorps help create.

“FoodCorps is grateful for Annie’s commitment to growing food leaders and healthy kids,” said Debra Eschmeyer, FoodCorps Co-Founder and Director of Partnerships and Policy. “Give children nutrition education in the classroom, hands-on learning through school gardens, and nourishing food in the cafeteria, and a lifetime of healthy eating can take root.”

Gardens of Goodness – Sowing Support for Sustainable Food in Schools
Support for FoodCorps is just one of Annie’s “Gardens of Goodness” initiatives, programs that support school gardens and sustainable agriculture.

Additional Gardens of Goodness efforts include:

  • Grants for Gardens: Grants of up to $1,500 twice a year to schools interested in starting and sustaining school gardens. Online Grants for Gardens applications will be available October 1 at www.Annies.com/school-gardens.
  • Sustainable Agriculture Scholarships: $100,000 in scholarships awarded each year to selected college and graduate students studying sustainable agriculture. Applications for Sustainable Agriculture Scholarships are available at www.Annies.com/our-practices/agricultural-scholarships/.
  • Annie’s Garden Resource: A free, downloadable “how to” guide for five school garden types (e.g., windowsill, vertical, raised bed & container, tunnel & greenhouse, and large-scale gardens), developed in partnership with the Center for Ecoliteracy. This guide and additional Gardens of Goodness resources from school garden experts such as Farm to School are available at www.Annies.com/school-gardens.

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