The Napili Community Garden is vying to win one of several high-dollar grants from the Certified Organic Seed and Food Company. The local nonprofit, located on the Westside, is participating in the Seeds of Change Grant Program for an opportunity to win one of two available grants–valued at $20,000 and $10,000.
The Seeds of Change Grant Program aims to enhance the environmental, economic and social well-being of gardens, farms and communities. The grants will be awarded to organizations that help support sustainable, community-based gardening and farming programs that focus on teaching people about the food they eat and how it’s grown.
Napili Community Garden–one of hundreds of grant applicants–submitted an application earlier this month highlighting how they would use the grant to grow their gardening program and achieve their goals.
The Community Garden is asking the community for its support by voting at the Seeds of Change website. Voting closes April 18; the top 50 organizations with the most votes will move on to the final judging phase. Early next month, Seeds of Change will announce 24 grant recipients: 12 school garden recipients and 12 community garden recipients. Of these grant recipients, two school gardens and two community gardens will receive $20,000 and 10 school gardens and ten 10 community gardens will receive $10,000.
Napili Community Garden is an organic, nonprofit garden serving West Maui since 2011. Currently the garden is doubling its 3.5 acres comprised of 120 10’x20’ and 20’x20’ family plots and common areas. The newly added 3.5 acres will be turned into both individual garden plots and a diverse tropical orchard to be shared in common.
The Seeds of Change grant will go to purchasing trees and buying a small tractor with bucket, backhoe and tiller to prepare this new land. The garden’s long range goals are to teach sustainable farming and share cultural knowledge with members and the wider public. What’s more, the NCG donates 1,000 pounds of fresh, organic food to the local food bank each month and part of the non-profit’s long range goal is to donate more variety and more food as they grow.
Photo courtesy Napili Community Garden
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