Master Gardener Spotlight: Growing Together Montana
2022 Springby Dara Palmer
Montana Master Gardener Coordinator
Growing Together Montana (GTMT) is a collaboration between the MSU Extension Nutrition Education Program and the Master Gardener program. It provides grants to active Master Gardener volunteers with a focus on growing and donating produce to local food banks and other emergency food resources.
2021 marked the inaugural year for the Growing Together Montana project. The grant cycle kicked off with 17 applicants from across the state, and six final projects being chosen based on funding availability and community benefits. Consideration of applications included if maximum benefit could reach the SNAP-eligible community, as well as opportunities for nutrition education. A major goal of the project is to bring awareness to food insecurity in Montana and provide fresh, nutritious produce to underserved areas.
Master Gardeners can use GTMT project volunteer hours toward achieving their Master Gardener certification with the state program. They also have the opportunity to work with SNAP-Ed instructors in their communities to provide nutrition education to individuals and families who utilize the donation sites. More than 2,500 Master Gardener volunteer hours were contributed with 28 different organizations receiving 5,380 pounds of produce, and reaching 8,195 Montanans.
"Having fresh produce right in the neighborhood has been the greatest impact," said grant recipient Hillary Maxwell, who is a Family and Consumer Science Agent for MSU Extension on the Fort Belknap Reservation, and a Master Gardener. Maxwell and a team of committed community members installed and maintain a garden plot at the Old Hays Community Garden on the Fort Belknap Reservation. "Community members are getting more comfortable with the garden space and are appreciating its value."
Montana joins Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan, Illinois, Wyoming, and Indiana in continuing to offer this grant opportunity. Grant applications for the 2022 growing season were released in January. More information about the GTMT grant can be found at https://buyeatlivebetter.org/growing_together_montana.html. For more information about the Montana Master Gardener program, visit https://mtmastergardener.org.