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Ga. Foundation for Agriculture supports elementary ag ed programs

Posted on May 26, 2020 12:00 AM

By Jennifer Whittaker

The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture (GFA) recently presented $1,000 grants to 25 elementary schools across the state with agricultural education programs. The foundation raised the funds for the grants during its “Give to Grow” campaign held last November that culminated on Giving Tuesday - Dec. 3, 2019.

“The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture appreciates all of the businesses, organizations and individuals who donated to our campaign to support efforts to teach elementary students about agriculture and its importance to their daily lives,” Georgia Foundation for Agriculture Executive Director Lily Baucom said. “With this being the first year of Georgia’s pilot ag education program, we wanted to financially support these schools to help them get their programs up and running.”

Baucom presented the grants to teachers affiliated with the elementary ag programs at the Georgia Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association Mid-Winter Conference.

The foundation invited all schools with a pilot elementary ag education program to apply for a grant. Elementary schools receiving grants are located in the following counties: Appling, Banks, Barrow, Bibb, Brooks, Clayton, Colquitt, Decatur, Fulton, Grady, Irwin, Laurens, Lowndes, Montgomery, Morgan, Muscogee, Pickens and Pike. For a list of schools that received grants visit gfb.ag/GFAagedgrants.

The schools will use the grants to fund a variety of projects including building greenhouses, planting school gardens, purchasing egg incubators, building/expanding chicken coops, buying hydroponics supplies, planting fruit trees and buying accurate ag books.

Visit www.gfb.ag/elementaryagedpilot to learn more about the elementary ag ed pilot program. To learn more about the foundation or make a tax-deductible donation visit www.gafoundationag.org or contact Baucom at 478-405-3461 or lrbaucom@gfb.org.