Porter County and its Porter County Master Gardeners Association (PCMGA) announce several new $250 Edible Community Garden Grants to encourage growing nutritious food and donating it to help feed the hungry. 
These new grants are dedicated exclusively to encourage new Porter County gardens or garden expansions dedicated to feeding the hungry. Here’s how they work:
- If you have a plot of ground that’s sunny at least 6 hours per day,
- and you are willing to prepare the plot, plant, water, weed and harvest the produce this summer
- and you are willing to donate the food you grow to a local food pantry that accepts fresh produce and herbs,
- you should apply for a PCMGA 2010 Edible Community Garden Grant.
These $250 grants may be used to purchase garden items (not labor) such as tools, soil tests, fertilizer, compost, mulch, seeds, plants, plant supports and fencing. And, if you want a Master Gardener to contact when you need some gardening expertise, PCMGA can help with that too.
Applications and guidelines are available online at www.ces.purdue.edu/Porter (follow the link to the Master Gardeners and click on Edible Community Garden) or at the Porter County Extension Office, 155 Indiana Avenue, Suite 301, Valparaiso, or by calling 465-3555.
The Edible Community Garden Grant application must be postmarked by April 20, 2010, or returned to the Porter County Extension Office by April 20, 2010.