Montgomery County has awarded a total of $200,000 to seven community organizations to boost initiatives that increase food production, access to gardening, and small-scale agriculture.Montgomery County has awarded a total of $200,000 to seven community organizations to boost initiatives that increase food production, access to gardening, and small-scale agriculture. The grants, funded by the region’s Resident and Community Food Gardening Grant program, are expected to benefit more than 1,800 residents. The organizations receiving grants are: – AfriThrive: Expanding its “Boosting Our Culturally Appropriate Foods” program to a new location, diversifying crop selection, and providing educational and technical assistance. – Community Food Forest Collective: Increasing the amount of land in production within the network of food forests in Montgomery County. – Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research (CHEER): Expanding its Neighborhood Gardening Program to three additional locations and engaging new members. – Islamic Center of Maryland (ICM): Expanding the production of culturally relevant herbs, fruits, and vegetables while educating the center’s children’s program. – Shepherd’s Table: Powering the greenhouse behind Progress Place to grow crops year-round for over 180,000 meals served annually. – The Charles Koiner Center for Urban Farming, Inc.: Expanding its educational farm to improve food access for Wheaton families. – People’s Community Baptist Church: Expanding its garden to give more youth the opportunity to grow organic produce. “Our commitment to local food production and access is about more than just growing food,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “It’s about building resilient communities, improving public health, and fostering a deeper connection to our environment.” “The Gardening Grant Program has since expanded dramatically to engage an increasingly diverse network of residents and community organizations,” said Heather Bruskin, director of the Montgomery County Office of Food Systems Resilience. The programs “not only increase access to nutritious food; they also directly benefit the long-term health of our community and natural resources,” she added.
Montgomery County has awarded a total of $200,000 to seven community organizations to boost initiatives that increase food production, access to gardening and small-scale agriculture.
The grants are funded by the region’s Resident and Community Food Gardening Grant program and are expected to benefit more than 1,800 residents.
The organizations are:
- AfriThrive: This organization plans to expand its “Boosting Our Culturally Appropriate Foods” program to a new location at Kemp Mill Elementary School, with the goal of diversifying crop selection and availability and increasing educational and technical assistance opportunities for participants.
- Community Food Forest Collective: This group plans to increase the amount of land in production within the network of food forests in Montgomery County, including on the Montgomery College Takoma Park campus and at Takoma Park Elementary School.
- Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research (CHEER): This organization is expanding its Neighborhood Gardening Program to three additional locations and engaging new members of the Long Branch Gardeners Group.
- Islamic Center of Maryland (ICM): This group plans to expand the production of culturally relevant herbs, fruits, and vegetables in the center’s Community Garden while also engaging the center’s children’s program with educational opportunities. It will contribute harvested produce to the ICMCares Social Service Food Pantry Program.
- Shepherd’s Table: This organization plans to power the greenhouse behind Progress Place in Silver Spring so it can grow crops year-round for the more than 180,000 meals Shepherd’s Table serves each year.
- The Charles Koiner Center for Urban Farming, Inc.: This educational farm in the community at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School will expand to improve food access for Wheaton families.
- People’s Community Baptist Church: This church is expanding its garden to give more youth from its predominantly black church community the opportunity to grow and harvest organic fruits, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers.
“Our commitment to local food production and access is about more than just growing food,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “It’s about building resilient communities, improving public health and fostering a deeper connection to our environment. These grants will support thousands of residents who have faced significant barriers to accessing nutritious, culturally relevant food. By supporting these innovative projects, we are empowering residents to take control of their food sources and contribute to a sustainable future for Montgomery County.”
“The Gardening Grant Program was first launched as part of the County’s COVID-19 pandemic response and has since expanded dramatically to engage an increasingly diverse network of residents and community organizations,” said Heather Bruskin, director of the Montgomery County Office of Food Systems Resilience.
The programs “not only increase access to nutritious food; they also directly benefit the long-term health of our community and natural resources,” she said.
