Project name: Garden to Table Community Service Project
County: Ward
Project Coordinator: Valerie Potter, Juvenile Drug Court Coordinator (contact)
Emily Goff, NDSU Extension Service – Ward County
Lead Organizations: North Central Juvenile Drug Court
NDSU Extension Service – Ward County
Address: 315 3rd Street SE
Minot, ND 58701
Telephone: 701.857.6652 Email:
1. Briefly describe your garden project including its major goals. Please include a description of activities and the location of the garden (for example, Jefferson Elementary School). (150 words or less)
Garden to Table Service Project is a collaborated youth service project with North Central Juvenile Drug Court and Ward County Extension Office. Our garden project will take place over a twelve week period starting in May and ending in September. The garden will be planted at Rainbow Gardens in Minot, ND. Youth will be responsible for preparing the ground for the garden, planting, weeding, watering and harvesting the produce. Garden to Table goals will include providing at risk youth and youth an outlet for fun, outdoor learning with an emphasis on giving back to our community. The project will increase youth knowledge on growing a garden from start to finish and serve as a therapeutic outlet for at risk youth who have serious addiction issues and problems managing stress. Once the youth harvest their garden, they will be giving back to the community by donating some of the produce to local area food pantries.
2. How will your project make a difference to its children? (150 words or less)
Youth who participate in the Garden to Table Service Project will be exposed to natural and man-made materials that are healthy for our environment and their personal health. For some, the exposure may be new territory and may help them pursue a lifelong hobby or even career. The garden will show the importance of nurturing, accomplishment, and pride Youth will experience the joy of starting a project and seeing it through till the end. Youth will better themselves by experiencing hands-on-learning. Through hands-on-learning, youth will learn where food comes from, hopefully eat healthier, and develop lasting relationships with other youth, teachers, and fellow gardeners.
3. How will your project make a difference in your community? (150 words or less)
Rainbow Gardens is Minot’s only community garden. The atmosphere at the community garden is safe place to come and hang out. Through our program, youth will have an opportunity to build healthy relationships with positive role models. Ideally, those positive role models will encourage our youth to continue down the same path and find ways to be positive and caring individuals in our community. One way of showing this will be through donating the produce to area food pantries. With the collaboration of our two groups, youth will have an opportunity to interact with people who are diverse from them and thus share an experience that will help foster their cultural relationships.
4. Please estimate the number of participants directly involved in the project:
Young children (3–12 years old): 5
Teens (13–17 years old): 10
Adults: 5
5. Briefly list any partners (such as 4-H, FFA, school, church, garden center, parks department) that are involved. Briefly describe their roles in the project. Be very brief.
Ward County NDSU Extension Office will collaborate with North Central Juvenile Drug Court. The Extension Office will be responsible for the educational portion and sending in all pictures/reports to the grant agency. North Central Juvenile Drug Court will be responsible for monitoring the garden each week, supervision of juveniles and helping the extension office with the education portion of the project.
6. Budget
Expenditures Amount
Garden Plot at Rainbow Gardens $35
Seeds and plants 130
Tools and Soil amendments 170
Fence/Tiller Rental 125
TOTAL $460
For projects coordinated by organizationsoutside of NDSU Extension
(to be completed by local NDSU educator)
Please describe your Extension office’s involvement in this garden program (recruiting youth, teaching, coordinating volunteers, providing meeting space). (150 words or less)
The role of the Extension Office in this project is to provide quality programs regarding basic gardening skills and environmental care. These programs will be provided by the 4-H Youth Development agent.
I support this project and will work with the coordinator to ensure a positive educational experience for the youth.
Emily Goff,
Ward County Agent, 4-H Youth Development 3/2/2017
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Name of NDSU Extension Service staff Date