WICHITA — A Quinter community garden is among those sharing $123,000 in grants awarded by a partnership between the Kansas Health Foundation and K-State Research and Extension. In all, 26 communities will share the grant funds designed to start new community gardens.
Corner Community Garden in Quinter will receive up to $5,000 as part of the program.
The program has awarded a total of about $400,000 over the three-year life of the program, said Evelyn Neier, K-State Research and Extension associate extension specialist in youth development. This is its final year.
“We awarded grants to all different types of gardens. Some are ‘allotment’ gardens where individuals can rent their own space, some are ‘communal’ spaces where produce is grown collaboratively and distributed for the good of the community, and some are a combination of both,” said Neier, who is based in Wichita. “We were happy to see applications from all parts of Kansas, including small, rural communities such as Quinter and Oswego, and larger metropolitan areas like Salina, Wichita, Kansas City and Olathe.
The Root 151 Community Garden in Olathe, for example, is based at the Olathe Bible Church but will provide a place for members of the community to learn about gardening, share ideas and work together to grow food for their homes and local food pantries.
The Neosho Heights Community Garden in Oswego is a collaborative effort of the local school district, First Southern Baptist Church, K-State Research and Extension, 4-H, FFA and local citizens. Elementary students will learn about gardening and high school students will serve as volunteers.
Grant funds will be used to purchase such resources as tillers, irrigation supplies, storage sheds, site improvements and tools.
The other grant recipients for 2014 (by community) are:
Belleville – Harvest Community Garden;
Cheney – Cheney Community Garden;
Derby – Oaklawn Community Garden;
Dodge City – Sunflower Community Garden;
Emporia – La Bonita Garden of Grace;
Garden City – Finney County Master Gardeners Garden;
Hiawatha – NEK-CAP Community Gardens;
Horton – Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas Community Garden;
Kansas City – Somali Bantu Foundation of Kansas;
Lawrence – Lawrence Community Shelter Garden;
Lawrence – Pearl Clark Community Garden;
Linn – Linn Community Garden;
Oswego – Neosho Heights Community Garden;
Minneapolis – Minneapolis Community Garden;
Olathe – CCC Community Garden;
Olathe – Growing Together, a Community Garden at Olathe Bible Church;
Ozawkie – Napoleon Boone Garden;
Salina – Church Community Organic Garden;
Topeka – Quincy Community Garden;
Wamego – Wamego Community Garden;
Wichita – CLASS Communal Garden;
Wichita – God’s Garden;
Wichita – Leadership Academy Garden;
Wichita – Robin Rounds Memorial Garden; and
Wichita – Urban Prep Academy Community Garden.
More information about the Kansas Community Garden Program and the recipient gardens is available on the website www.kansascommunitygardens.org or by contacting Neier at (7850 410-3760 or [email protected].