VALPARAISO | Porter County Master Gardeners Association (PCMGA) recently awarded five $250 grants to community organizations who will grow food for area food pantries. With area unemployment high, some residents need to use food pantries and food banks to make ends meet. These grants are intended to enable community gardens and volunteer gardeners to purchase materials such as plants, fertilizer and soil amendments to grow nutritious fresh vegetables for donation to food banks.
PCMGA gave Edible Community Gardens grants for the first time in 2010. Winners are:
Adventist Community Services of Hobart, James Pavelka; Duneland Community Church Garden, Terri Tarquinee; Immanuel Lutheran Community Garden, Archie Miller; Valparaiso Community Garden, Candace Shaw and Washington Evangelical Free Church Garden, Justin Reed.
The Porter County Master Gardeners Association promotes the art, science, education and pleasure of gardening in the community, in cooperation with the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service of Porter County. Since 2005, the PCMGA has made gifts of approximately $18,000 to Porter County organizations. For gift and grant application guidelines and deadlines, visit www.ag.purdue.edu/counties/porter/ or call (219) 465-3555.
