Grow with Us Grant
Background
We know...
Students who grow food, try new foods.
Students who grow food, eat healthier foods.
Students who grow food, increase their physical activity.
Students who grow food, understand and can communicate the source and value of agriculture.
Listing the reasons why we should grow food with our students can go on and on – but teachers don't need another list, teachers need tools and resources. New York Agriculture in the Classroom is offering an unprecedented grant for schools to earn plant grow systems for their schools and classrooms to engage students in learning through food and eating healthy food year-round.
New York Agriculture in the Classroom wants to make the integration of food, agriculture, and nutrition easy, relevant, and successful for teachers across our state.
About the Grow with Us Grant
The Grow with Us Grant is returning for the 2024-2025 school year and will provide schools an opportunity to apply for one of four options: a bundle of three Tower Gardens, 3 tier grow rack with led grow lights, a vermicomposting Worm Café, or a compost tumbler.
Schools should apply for the system that best meets their educational goals and available classroom or outdoor space. New York Agriculture in the Classroom aspires to provide teachers the tools to facilitate experiential learning opportunities using agriculture as the context for learning.
Eligibility and Application Guidelines
- Applications will be accepted from New York State certified PreK-12 teachers currently teaching in New York State.
- Teachers must be interested in and committed to enhancing their students' understanding of agriculture, food systems, and natural resources.
- Public, private, charter, and homeschool groups are eligible to apply.
- Applications from multiple school buildings in the same district are eligible.
- Schools must be willing to submit two progress reports each year, for two years.
- The grow systems must be housed for two years on the school property, not at an off-site location.
- Certified agriculture teachers and agriculture programs are not eligible to apply for this grant. (Please see the Agriculture Education Incentive Grant.)
- Teachers who have received a Grow with Us Grant previously are not eligible to apply.
Required Documents for Application
- Please review our Grow with Us Grant Application Guidance for additional insight to the short-answer questions of the grant.
- Lead Teacher Agreement (Must be signed and uploaded with every grant application.)
- Letter of Support: Attach a short letter of support on letterhead from a member of your school administration indicating their support for the grow system and integration of the system in the formal classroom environment and the curriculum.
When applying for this grant, please note:
- To be considered for judging, your application must be complete (including all required uploads).
- Grow systems cannot be located at an offsite location such as a Cornell Cooperative Extension office or farm partner.
- Awardees will be awarded basic supplies to start their grow system, but there must be a plan in place to sustain or support the project in future years.
- Teachers must be the primary users of the grow system for classroom instruction.
- Cooperative efforts are encouraged.
Available Grow System Descriptions
Tower Garden Description
- Tower Gardens are a vertical, aeroponic growing system which allows you to grow up to 20 vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers in less than three square feet—indoors or out.
- Tower Gardens grow plants with only water and nutrients rather than soil.
- If selected, your school will receive a bundle of three Tower Gardens delivered to your school.
- Tower Gardens will be delivered with all of the materials necessary to easily assemble and start growing.
- Dimensions of each tower: 62" h X 30" w X 30" d
- Retail value of $1,629.00.
Spider Farmer® SF600 Growshelves
- This stand is made of high-grade iron with a moisture-resistant powder coating, ensuring its durability. The weight and durability make it a testament to exceptional quality. Textured and leak-proof trays provide a secure and hygienic environment for your plants.
- Installation takes under 20 minutes, and the stand has four removable wheels for effortless movement.
- Includes 3 x SF600 (lights), 1 x 3-tier grow shelf, 3 x water-tight trays, User Manual
- Dimensions: 46 inches wide, 15 inches deep and 70 inches high, with 4 layers of metal shelves and 22 inches between each layer.
- Retail value of $489.99
Mr.Spin® Compost Tumbler
- Dual Chamber compost tumbler on two-leg stand.
- Two compartments to keep fresh organic waste from older waste - separation makes better compost.
- Assembled: 43 gallons – 26” Dia. X 28” wide x 37” high
- Assembled Weight: 28 lbs
- Retail value of $109.99
- NOTE - this is a tumbling composter and not to be used with worms.
Worm Cafe
- Tumbleweed’s Worm Café® is the ultimate worm farm for indoor or outdoor use. With a sleek new design and clever features, the Worm Café® turns organic waste into rich worm castings and worm tea with no mess.
- A hinged lid helps you open and fill your worm farm while a sloping base on the collector tray assists the worm tea to drain easily from the drip free tap. The entire unit has been designed to prevent brown tea from running down the worm farm legs to stain your floor or tiles.
- Three working trays, all of which are side ventilated, maximize the Worm Café’s® environmental stability, and keep air flowing without allowing rain to fill the farm and drown your worms. Cross ventilation also helps to prevent worm tea from turning anaerobic.
- The Worm Café® has been designed with mounds on collector trays and a fly proof lid to encourage worms to continuously move up through the trays in search of fresh organic waste. Modern legs with ant caps and a fly proof lid help prevent ants from climbing and insects from getting into your Worm Cafe®. For absolute convenience, instructions are engraved under the lid of the Worm Café®.
- Includes: Brick for Bedding, Worm Blanket, Rake, 1000 Red Composting Worms, Composter and Worm Farm Conditioner
- Black 100% recycled plastic
- Assembled size 22.5in long x 16in x 30in
- 20 gallon capacity
- Retail value of $229.95
