Western Growers Foundation Announces $75,000 in Grants for 50 Arizona Schools

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Western Growers Foundation awarded 50 Arizona K-12 schools with $75,000 in grant money to create and sustain their own edible fruit and vegetable gardens. Each school will receive $1,500 plus seeds and other materials. The grants were provided through the Arizona Department of Agriculture as part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant.  

The Foundation's mission is to plant and sustain a fruit and vegetable garden in every willing Arizona and California school. Edible school gardens give children the opportunity to learn where their food comes from and the importance of good nutrition. The program is an important educational tool that promotes healthy choices and good nutrition to our schoolchildren in Arizona and California.

"Something we're seeing more and more is how involved parents are," said Paula Olson, vice president of marketing at Western Growers. "Parents have told me that their children now ask for fruits and vegetables to be served. It's really great when the entire family is influenced by what the children grow at school." 

(For a video clip of what students, teachers and parents are saying about school gardens: http://www.csgn.org/arizona)

The Edible School Gardens Program is open to all K-12 schools, both public and private in California and Arizona.  Western Growers Foundation is expecting a new round of grants to be announced by the end of this year.  "If schools are interested in participating, we encourage them to watch the Foundation's Collective School Garden Network website www.csgn.org for the announcement," Olson added.

For a list of schools who received the grants, see below or go to http://www.csgn.org/news/arizona-school-garden-grant-winners-announced. Interested parties can donate to the Foundation via http://www.csgn.org/donate.

Arizona School Garden Grant Recipients

Buckeye

• Rainbow Valley Elementary

Bullhead City

• Fox Creek Junior High School

Casa Grande

• Cholla Elementary School

Chandler

• Chandler High
• Chandler Traditional Academy

Douglas

• Douglas High School

Flagstaff

• Ponderosa High School
• Flagstaff Junior Academy- Middle School
• Manuel DeMiguel Elementary School
• Sechrist Elementary School

Fort Mohave

• Academy of Building Industries High School

Gilbert

• Highland High School

Glendale

• Desert Garden Elementary
• St. Louis the King Catholic School
• William Jack Elementary School

Goodyear

• Desert Star School
• Wildflower School

Holbrook

• Indian Wells Elementary School

Laveen

• Vista del Sur Traditional School

Mammoth

• Mammoth Elementary

Mesa

• Johnson Elementary School
• Madison Elementary School
• Sequoia Charter School

Morristown

• Morristown Elementary

Nogales

• Lourdes Catholic School
• Nogales High School

Phoenix

• Faith North Montessori
• Horseshoe Trails Elementary
• Champion Schools
• Ingleside Middle School
• Maryland Elementary School
• Sweetwater Community School
• Western School of Science and Technology
• Whispering Wind Academy
• William T. Machan Elementary School

Pinon

• Black Mesa Community School

Prescott

• Mountain Institute JTED

Rio Rico

• Rio Rico High

Somerton

• Orange Grove Elementary School

Tempe

• Broadmor Elementary

Tucson

• Borton Primary Magnet School
• Hollinger School
• Agua Caliente Elementary School
• Harold Steele Elementary
• Holladay Magnet Elementary
• Summit View Elementary
• Toltecalli High School

Whiteriver

• Whiteriver Elementary School

Williams

• Heritage Elementary School

Yuma

• Fourth Ave Junior High School

About Western Growers:
Since 1926, we have represented local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona and California. Our members provide half the nation's fresh fruits and vegetables including a third of America's fresh organic produce. For generations we have provided variety and healthy choices as the first line of defense against obesity and disease. We grow the best medicine in the world.™ 

SOURCE Western Growers Association