This grant's purpose is to help schools teach the basic principles of agriculture required by Florida Statutes. Requirements are easy to meet in just four steps! In order to be eligible for the grant, teachers must meet the following requirements:
- Gardens may include flowers, but should be vegetables or other agriculture commodity.
- Experiments are allowed. Example: One class planted varieties of wheat and grain (some known not to grow well in Florida), to evaluate the results. Another class
is experimenting with the Coontie plant which early settlers of Florida grew: still another class grew varieties of vegetables not normally found in Florida
and had a bountiful harvest to feast on at a class/parent night.
- Requests for the school garden grant must be on school letterhead paper.
- The request should be in the form of a letter from the school teacher explaining what type of project will be under taken and how the students participate and/or
what they will learn. It is to be mailed to Broward County Farm Bureau, 1255 W. Atlantic Blvd, Ste. 115., Pompano Beach, FL 33069 Attention: Bonny or faxed to 954-969-9543 Attention: Bonny
- A photo of your garden and a letter from the class midway through the project.
- In order to evatuate this project and provide information to continue it in the future, we ask that you provide a photo midway and end of your project. More photos
are welcome but not required. You may email photos to bcfbbonny@yahoo.com or mail to the above address.
- A report from your class (geared for their age group) with photos of the final part of your project.
Important: Only one school garden grant per school will be awarded each year.
Farm Bureau gives this opportunity:
- To excite children about gardening
- To encourage gardening as a way of life for their future
- For better health, exercise and nutrition
- To expose children, their teachers and parents to agriculture
- For fun in the outdoors
More ideas! Work with a local supermarket and have a possible display of your class project in the produce section. Follow through with continued processing of your harvest by studying how the commodity is/was processed and used.