Texas Farm Bureau recently awarded Alkek Elementary a $500 grant for a vegetable garden program on their campus. The Bandera County Farm bureau matched the funds with an additional $ 500.
The goal of the Garden Grant is to teach students about agriculture.
The Learning from the Ground Up garden grant from Texas Farm Bureau will help students by providing additional resources for the project.
“Research shows that students benefit academically and socially when they engage in hands-on learning,” Booker Young, Bandera County Farm Bureau president, said.
Hands-on learning in a garden can help students better understand situations that farmers and ranchers face, Booker noted.
“The soil in the garden has to be prepared before seeds can be planted. It’s what farmers do, too,” Booker said. “The garden needs water just like crops in a field. And after a full growing season, the students can pick what they planted. It’s the same concept when farmers like myself harvest their crops. In agriculture, our equipment is just bigger because we have to cover more ground.”
The Learning from the Ground Up garden grant applications will open again next summer.
Mr. Young encourages teachers and other program educators to apply for the grant to help build or improve school gardens, greenhouses, raised beds or hydroponic and aquaponic projects that provide students with hands-on, experiential learning about agriculture and food production.
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