The Nov. 1 deadline is approaching to submit applications for New River Valley Master Gardener Association grants supporting Spring 2018 gardening projects.
The NRV Master Gardeners is a volunteer organization of Virginia Cooperative Extension. These grants support projects seeking to educate, involve, and/or improve the quality of life for participants through a gardening related project.
Previous grants have been awarded to public and private schools, 4-H groups, public libraries, community gardens, non-profits, and nursing homes. Grants have helped create public vegetable and flower gardens, raise plants for sales, begin composting projects, and purchase gardening tools for children.
The Pollinator Garden at the Blacksburg Parks and Recreation Administrative Office started as a green, grassy lawn around the building, but a Master Gardener grant helped remove the turf, plant wildflowers and native plants, and put in large rocks and bird and bee houses.
The nonprofit organization, Pulaski Grow, also successfully applied for this Master Gardener grant. With the money, they were able to build two new growing systems.
Last year, students from the Pulaski Middle Afterschool Program helped turn an old refrigerator into an aquaponics system, and youth volunteers from several schools helped to build a straw bale bed. Students raised lettuce in the converted refrigerator and grew scarlet beans and eggplant in the straw bales.
“Both projects allowed the youth the opportunity to learn some basic tool skills as well as problem solving skills,” Pulaski Grow said.
Applications are due by Nov. 1, 2017 and grants will be awarded by Jan. 31, 2018.
For more information on the application requirements, contact Donna Fern at vafern3@gmail.com or Gwen Douglas at gwendouglasdesigns@gmail.com. Phone messages may be left with Gwen Douglas at 706-340-0900. Or visit www.nrvmastergardeners.com/
