Department of Agriculture
Supporting Arkansas farmers and ranchers while ensuring safe food, fiber, and forest products for the citizens of Arkansas, the nation, and across the globe
Arkansas School Garden Grant Program
The Arkansas School Garden Grant Program was established in 2020 to help schools start or expand gardens on school grounds. The grant program was developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to increase production of specialty crops in school gardens. Specialty crops as defined by the USDA are fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture awards grants to public and private K-12 schools, early childhood education facilities, and alternative learning environments to purchase soil, specialty crop seeds and plants, and gardening equipment to support their school garden.
The application for the Arkansas School Garden Grant Program can be found at https://bit.ly/3TlLT7d. A scoring rubric is provided here for you to refer to as you complete the application. Applicants are welcome to apply both this grant program and the Arkansas Taste Test Grant Program within the same application.
For additional help and support, you may contact Erica Benoit, Farm to School Coordinator at the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, erica.benoit@agriculture.arkansas.gov, (501) 251-3019.
Congratulations to the 2021-2022 Arkansas School Garden Grant Program Recipients!
Sixty two K-12 schools, early childhood education facilities, and alternative learning environments received grants through this year's grant program. Recipients ranged from schools starting their first garden to schools expanding their existing school garden. The map on the right shows the counties where the recipients are located.
- Anne Watson Elementary, Bigelow
- Archford Crossroads West, Atkins
- Armorel High School, Armorel
- Baseline Bilingual School, Little Rock
- Bayyari Elementary School, Springdale
- Bobby Barrett Elementary, Mount Ida
- Bright Beginnings Learning Center, Inc., Arkadelphia
- Butterfield Trail Elementary, Fayetteville
- Cabot High School, Cabot
- Cabot Middle School South, Cabot
- CCCEC Step by Step EIDT, Perryville
- Cedarville Elementary School, Cedarville
- Centers for Youth and Families, Little Rock
- Charleston Middle School, Charleston
- Civilian Student Training Program, North Little Rock
- Clarksville Head Start, Clarksville
- Clinton High School, Clinton
- Clover Community School, Bentonville
- Cook Elementary School, Fort Smith
- Cotter High School, Cotter
- Crestwood Elementary, North Little Rock
- Des Arc High School, Des Arc
- Drew Central Elementary, Monticello
- Early Childhood Education Program at Trinity Cathedral, Little Rock
- Elmdale Elementary School, Springdale
- Emmanuel Learning Center for Children, Jacksonville
- Eureka Springs Middle School, Eureka Springs
- Flightline Upper Academy, Little Rock
- Genoa Central School District, Texarkana
- Good Earth Learning Center, Austin
- Greenwood Preschool Center, Greenwood
- Health Wellness and Environmental Studies Magnet School, Jonesboro
- Hope Academy of Public Service, Hope
- Hot Springs Child Care Center II, Hot Springs
- Hoxie School District, Hoxie
- Jasper High, Jasper
- John Tyson Elementary School, Springdale
- Kindergrove, Rogers
- Lake Nixon Outdoor Preschool, Little Rock
- Little Scholars Schools, Little Rock
- Manila Elementary, Manila
- Marvell-Elaine Elementary School, Marvell
- Monticello Intermediate School, Monticello
- Monticello Middle School, Monticello
- Mountain View Middle, Mountain View
- Nettleton Junior High, Jonesboro
- Ozark High School, Ozark
- Ozark Junior High, Ozark
- Pike View Early Childhood Center, North Little Rock
- Pine Bluff High School, Pine Bluff
- Pinnacle View Middle School, Little Rock
- Quitman Elementary School, Quitman
- Salem Elementary School, Benton
- Spring Hill High School, Hope
- Stagecoach Elementary, Cabot
- The Delta School, Wilson
- The Farm at Pediatrics Plus, Conway
- The New School (TNS), Fayetteville
- Two Rivers School District, Ola
- Vilonia Pathways Academy, Vilonia
- Washington Elementary, Fayetteville
- White Hall High School, White Hall
To learn more about the first year of the Arkansas School Garden Grant Program, check out this infographic about the impact of the program in 2020-2021.
