Garden coordinators recently gathered at Oak Grove School for a grant writing workshop led by Food Connects’ Kris Nelson, Sheila Humphreys, and Rachelle Ackerman. The topic of this particular gathering was initiated by Food Connects board member, Kathy Cassin. As the former garden coordinator at Academy School, Kathy thought it would be helpful for garden coordinators to come together, especially in the winter months, to explore grant writing resources to support their garden plans for the coming season.
“In my role as garden coordinator at Academy, Food Connects was extremely helpful, along with Sheila, our coach, in guiding me through the entire grant writing process. With their help, Academy School was able to receive the VAAFM grant.” Kathy added that the grant helped the Academy Farm to School team repair the garden beds, build a new garden shed, acquire grow labs for classrooms to start seedlings, provide bus transportation for students to visit farms, and develop a multi-year plan for the Academy School garden.
The meeting brought together garden representatives from Academy School, Putney Central School, Saxtons River Elementary School and Central Elementary School—to share ideas, experiences, and tips for securing funding to support school gardens. Oak Grove Garden Coordinator Katrina Moore shared the journey of transforming the garden with the help of grant funding, from overcoming soil contamination to creating a student-led sculpture garden. Afterwards, the group discussed successful grant-writing experiences, including support from VAAFM, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Whole Foods, and explored future needs like summer staffing, outdoor structures, and children's gardening tools.
Development Manager Rachelle led a presentation on best practices for grant writing. She offered valuable tips on crafting compelling proposals, incorporating storytelling, and avoiding jargon. Participants had the chance to collaborate, refine their writing, and exchange feedback in breakout sessions.
Thanks to everyone who attended and to Katrina and Oak Grove for hosting! We look forward to seeing how these grant writing practices can help grow our gardens and enrich the student experience.