GOEHRING AWARDS COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL ORCHARD, GARDEN GRANTS

BISMARCK – Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has awarded grants totaling more than $47,000 for 13 projects to plant orchards and gardens in local communities.

“The North Dakota Community Orchard Project provides educational opportunities and fosters community spirit by bringing people together to plant and tend these orchards and gardens,” said Goehring. “The fruits and vegetables produced will benefit communities, schools and those in

need.”

The grants were awarded to:

• City of West Fargo: $3,435 to provide an orchard as a hands-on learning tool for environmental science and biology classes to learn about forestry and trees; and to provide fruit to the public and local neighborhood.
• City of Hillsboro: $7,500 to provide an orchard to educate students about horticulture and botany with students planting and caring for the orchard.
• Kindred FFA: $7,500 to provide an orchard to teach both high school and elementary students about planting and caring for an orchard.
• Cass County, Bonanzaville, West Fargo: $5,500 to provide an orchard to educate youth about food grown by homesteaders.
• Troop 232 Eagle Scout Project, West Fargo: $1,140 to provide an orchard for the community as part of an Eagle Scout project.
• Hope Page Schools, Page: $3,000 to develop an orchard which will educate students about the life cycle of a tree. Students will be involved in the design and maintenance of the orchard.
• Dodge City Park Board: $4,000 to provide a learning space to cover topics like fertilization, soil types, and water requirements to care for and maintain an orchard.
• Spirit Lake Food Distribution Program and Nutrition Center, Fort Totten: $2,500 to establish and orchard that will be used for bi-weekly farm-to-table field days for youth ages 4-18 to teach about orchard and garden care, and food safety.
• Liberty Evangelical Free Church, Williston: $1,000 to create orchard for the community and provide programming about orchard care and maintenance.
• The Arc, Upper Valley, Grand Forks: $2,500 to provide an orchard to utilize as a living classroom for local schools and the community to learn about tree care, composting and water conservation.
• Indigenous Community Circle, West Fargo: $4,500 to create an orchard to provide education to families and the community about growing specialty crops, and best practices for tree planting and care.
• St. John Christian Preschool, Fargo: $500 to plant berry bushes to teach preschoolers about where there food comes from, including all stages of plant growth and harvesting.

Goehring said grant money can be used for plants, trees, planting supplies, soil amendments, irrigation and fencing supplies, but not for permanent structures, capital expenditures or to buy land.