Nature's Path, a certified organic breakfast and snack food company, will award 22 community gardens each with $5,000 through its annual Gardens for Good program to celebrate the impactful work of organic community gardens across the U.S. and Canada.
"Community gardens connect people to food—the growing of it and the sharing of its bounty," said Jyoti Stephens, vice president mission and strategy at Nature's Path, in a statement. "They can help increase food security by providing hyper-local access to healthy organic fruits and vegetables while also serving as a hub to connect people in communities to each other."
Applications are being accepted through March 25, 2022, through the brand's website. Winners will be selected on National Gardening Day on April 14.
The Gardens for Good program supports community gardens every year that wish to provide fresh organic food for those who might not otherwise have access to it. Since the program's initiation in 2010, Nature's Path has donated more than $500,000 and supported 52 community garden projects.
"My grandfather was a berry farmer in the 1940s, and he taught my dad to always leave the soil better than you found it." said Arjan Stephens, general manager at Nature's Path, in a statement. "This has grown into our mission at Nature's Path. We support community gardens through our Gardens for Good program because they leave the soil and communities better."
According to the United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, in the U.S. alone, food-at-home prices increased 3.5 percent compared to the 20-year historical level of 2 percent in 2021. In Canada, food costs have risen by 5.7 percent between January 2022 from a year earlier, according to the Consumer Price Index. At the same time, food banks are seeing unprecedented demand. Community gardens can play a significant role in addressing both issues.
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