The City of Atlanta received a grant from ScottsMiracle-Gro to fund the expansion of three successful urban agriculture initiatives across Atlanta. The Atlanta Urban Agriculture Expansion Project will connect Covenant House Georgia, the Fire Station Gardens Project and the Vine City EcoDistrict Community Gardens, increasing their garden footprints and creating model gardens that can be recreated in other communities. The Atlanta Urban Agriculture Expansion Project was one of four projects in the U.S. to receive a GRO1000 showcase grant from our company this year.
The first phase of the Atlanta Urban Agriculture Expansion project will revitalize an underutilized greenhouse at Covenant House Georgia to maximize its growing capacity and provide seedlings for community gardens citywide, including the Fire Station Gardens Project and Vine City EcoDistrict. The greenhouse expansion will also allow the at-risk and homeless youth residing at Covenant House to learn job skills and have the opportunity for therapeutic release.
GRO1000 is ScottsMiracle-Gro’s commitment to support the creation of more than 1,000 community gardens and greenspaces in the U.S., Canada, Latin America and Europe by 2018, in conjunction with our 150th anniversary. To date, nearly 800 community projects have received GRO1000 funding.
The dedication of the GRO1000 Atlanta project took place on Friday, June 17, at Covenant House Georgia. Youth and local leaders joined volunteers, including ScottsMiracle-Gro associates and GRO1000 national and local partners, in garden-related educational activities. A group of youth from Covenant House Georgia was presented with the ScottsMiracle-Gro Give Back To Gro Youth Gardener Award.
GRO1000 Atlanta was made possible through the combined efforts of local and national partners, including The U.S. Conference of Mayors, ScottsMiracle-Gro, Plant A Row for the Hungry, KidsGardening.org, the Garden Writers Association Foundation, and Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.
For more information, visit www.GRO1000.com and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/Scotts_MGro.
