Little Rock, AR – Contributed – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture, in partnership with Farm Credit, is now accepting entries for the annual Arkansas Grown School Garden of the Year Contest.
Schools, early childhood education centers, and alternative learning environments that operated a school garden during the 2025–2026 school year, or plan to begin one in 2026–2027, are encouraged to apply.
“We’re proud to support a program that gives students such meaningful, hands‑on experiences,” said Greg Cole, President and CEO of AgHeritage Farm Credit Services. “When kids get the chance to plant, grow, and harvest food themselves, it opens their eyes to the role agriculture plays in their everyday lives.”
“Investing in school gardens is investing in Arkansas’s future,” said Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. “These hands‑on learning experiences give students real opportunities to explore agriculture and nutrition. We’re grateful to Farm Credit for supporting a program that continues to grow stronger every year.”
Entries will be accepted through June 26, 2026, and the application is available online here. Contest winners will be announced in fall 2026.
Applicants may apply for the following award categories:
- Best Start-Up School Garden Proposal – $500 Award
- Best Education-Based School Garden – $500 Award
- Best Harvest Partnership School Garden – $500 Award
- Best Community Collaboration School Garden – $500 Award
- Best Overall School Garden – $1,000 Award
- Champion of School Garden Sustainability – $1,000 Award
Established in 2014 by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture in partnership with Farm Credit, the Arkansas Grown School Garden of the Year Contest encourages schools to involve students in the hands-on experience of growing and harvesting fresh foods.
Farm Credit sponsors the contest awards each year, helping schools expand and strengthen their garden programs. Since its launch, the contest has recognized more than 70 school gardens across the state and awarded over $48,000 in funding to support their continued growth.
Additional information about the contest is available on the Department’s website here.
