#16 Opinion (Local Issue)

    The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the second annual Arkansas School Garden Plant Program and the new Taste Test Grant Program. These applications will be accepted through November 20th. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is doing this in hopes of growing farms and agriculture in schools.

    The Arkansas School Garden Grant Program is put in place to help schools expand their gardens on the school property. This grant will provide $500 to 60 schools so that they can purchase supplies like soil, specialty crop seeds and plants, and gardening equipment. 

    To add on to the Garden Grant they are also adding a Taste Test Grant where they will be able to serve the locally grown fruits and vegetables in the cafeterias. The Taste Test Grant allows 30 schools to receive $250 to be able to purchase kitchen equipment and utensils, serving materials, and specialty crop seeds and plants.

    These specific grant programs are available for K-12 public and private schools, early childhood education facilities, and alternative learning environments. 

    Personally, I think that the Arkansas School Garden Grant Program and the Arkansas Taste Test Grant Program are great ideas. Being a kid who grew up around agriculture, I love to see people who didn't grow up around it start to learn more about the world of agriculture. There are so many parts to agriculture and growing gardens is a big part of it. I feel like kids need to know where our food comes from and how it is produced. I believe that these grants are definitely a step in the right direction and are going to open up many opportunities for these students.