Community Gardens Project 2018 Application Form

Thank you for your interest in the Fairfax Food Council’s 2018 Community Gardens Project.

The Fairfax Food Council is a coalition representing government, non-profit agencies, business sector, faith based community and concerned citizens. At the heart of the Council’s mission, is the promotion of collaborative efforts that seek to address food inequities and promote a healthier population in Fairfax County.

The Fairfax Food Council, through a grant from the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, is seeking to find community partners and/or community focused organizations interested in establishing a community garden project to increase the availability of healthy and affordable food in designated communities. Small financial assistance awards will be provided to successful applicants to establish or expand an existing garden project that will incorporate one or more of the Community Garden Project criteria and priorities listed below.

Applicants may be awarded up to $500worth ofsupplies needed for their proposed Community Garden Project. Purchases made through this award will be coordinated through the Fairfax Food Council.

All applicants, awardees and non-awardees, are urged to attend the 2018 Garden Workshops covering a range of topics. (Please check as well as the Fairfax Food Council Facebook page for details.)

Application information inquiries should be emailed to Terri Siggins @ . (Please type “Garden Application Inquiry” in subject line.)

Applicant Criteria & Priorities

  • Gardens located or serveareas that have poverty rates above 15% coupled with child poverty rates of 33%. See page 6 of the recent report, Getting Ahead: The uneven opportunity landscape in Northern Virginia () for identified areas of concern.
  • Gardens should focus on healthy eating for children, youth and families
  • Garden projects are to include at least one of the following elements: 1) train families and children in garden planning, implementation and maintenance; 2) provide families with garden produce
  • Garden projects must include a garden teamfor garden development, maintenance, and management.
  • Gardens must be planted and maintained in the 2018 planting season.

Priority will be given to proposed community garden projects that emphasize one or more of the following elements:

  • Addressing healthy eating
  • Sustaining/maintaining the garden throughout the entire growing season, particularly summer months
  • Value to the community

Submission

Application may be emailed OR mailed. Applications must be postmarked or time stamped on or before Wednesday, March 21st, 2018. Notification to all applicants will be provided no later than Friday, April 6th, 2018

Email to:

(please type “Garden Application” in subject line)

Mail to:

Attn: Terri Siggins, Project Coordinator
Fairfax Food Council
Fairfax County Health Department
10777 Main Street, Suite 325A
Fairfax, VA 22030-6903

Application Form

Enter the details of the applying organization and point of contact.

Organization Name
Contact person
Position
Email address
Telephone / Alt. Phone
Postal address

Project

Provide the following details about the Community Garden project.

Garden name
New or existing community garden / New garden☐
Existing garden☐
Relapsed garden☐
Garden address
Approximate size of proposed garden
Date the garden commenced or is due to commence
Available water source to garden site / Yes☐
Distance from source______
No☐
Unsure☐
Available sunlight to garden site / 1-3 hours☐
3-5 hours☐
6+ hours☐
Light shade/shade☐
Unsure☐
Does the proposed community garden have a design plan (drawing, sketch, etc.)?
If so, attach (not required) / Yes☐
No☐
Copies of the above documents are attached to this application

Membership

Describe the membership terms of the community garden, if applicable.

Number of members
A fee is charged for membership to the garden / Yes☐
No☐
Cost of membership, if any
Term or duration of membership

Location

Is your garden located in a high-need area (poverty rates above 15% coupled with child poverty rates of 33%. See page 6 of the recent report, Getting Ahead: The uneven opportunity landscape in Northern Virginia () for identified areas of concern)?

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Yes☐

No☐

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Land

Who or which organization owns the land where the garden is located?
Describe the arrangements in place for the use of land
What is the length of tenure
Attach a letter from the owner indicating their approval in establishing an edible garden for a minimum of three years / Copies of the above documents are attached to this application

Goals and Outcomes

List the intended outcomes of the community garden project:

How will the community garden be sustained after its first year?

Who will benefit from the community garden project?
Who will be the recipients of food grown?
Will there be an educational component (nutrition, food preparation, science, environmental, etc.) to the proposed community garden project? / Yes☐
No☐
Describe:
If so, are there community garden project members with skills that will aid in developing and providing the proposed educational component?

Timeline

Anticipated project commencement date
Anticipated project completion date

Budget

Requested grant amount / $
Anticipated other cash or grant funding / $

It is important to detail the proposed expenditure of the requested grant funds and specify any other income that is expected in support of the project.

A maximum of $500 in garden supplies may be applied for per project and should be detailed below.

Budget Item Amount / Description
$
TOTAL $

Award Conditions

Supply awards provided through the Community Gardens Project are subject to the following terms and conditions:

  1. Supplies provided through the award must be purchased by the Fairfax Food Council. Funds are being managed through the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD). Orders will be placed by FCHD through Home Depot. Detailed instructions for creating a purchase order with your local store will be emailed if your application is accepted for an award.
  2. As part of the grant conditions, your garden must be planted during the 2018 growing season.
  3. Acceptance of funding will require proof of how funds were used in the garden.
  4. At the end of the growing season, the FFC will email you a short survey to fill out describing your project. We also ask that you take pictures of your garden project throughout the process to submit at that time.

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Application Form