GOEHRING AWARDS COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL ORCHARD, GARDEN GRANTS

BISMARCK – Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has awarded grants totaling more than $27,000 for five projects to plant orchards and gardens in local communities.

“The North Dakota Community Orchard Project provides educational opportunities and fosters community spirit by bringing people together to plant and tend these orchards and gardens,” said Goehring. “The fruits and vegetables produced will benefit communities, schools and those in need.”

The grants were awarded to:

• Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, New Town: $7,500 to provide an orchard for education and outreach for both the school and the community through training events and hands-on teaching throughout the year.
• NDSU Cass County Extension, Fargo: $3,115 to provide an orchard host an educational planting day as well as to teach pruning, disease prevention and fruit preservation classes.
• Wilton FFA: $7,500 to provide an orchard to enhance learning in family and consumer science, ag and horticulture classes. Fruit will be used in schools and donated to the food pantry and senior center.
• Grafton FFA: $7,500 to provide an orchard to provide education about orchard maintenance and fruit production as well as host community events.
• Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Fort Totten: $1,500 to establish berry bushes to provide hands-on planting experience to high school students, and use fruits for nutrition classes and workshops.

Goehring said grant money can be used for plants, trees, planting supplies, soil amendments, irrigation and fencing supplies, but not for permanent structures, capital expenditures or to buy land.