There is nothing quite like experiencing a child’s joy in the garden. Seeing a little one watch seeds in the ground become the fruits and vegetables they find in grocery stores is a wildly inspiring journey.

Many of us are deeply disconnected from the systems and people who grow our food. That’s why our signature community outreach program, Garden-in-a-Box (GIAB), focuses on connecting new gardeners with all the materials they need to grow food (for themselves and pollinators). The program also supports a future where all Minnesotans have access to fresh produce, knowledge about how to grow food in small spaces and help establish a nature-focused lifestyle that encourages curiosity, love of the environment and enhances overall well-being.

About Garden-in-a-Box

Since 2008, Garden-in-a-Box has provided thousands of gardeners with materials, education and direct support to grow healthy produce for free. Every year, we distribute more than 800 gardening kits to over 80 organizations throughout the state of Minnesota. Each kit includes a raised bed, soil, compost, seeds, plants and educational materials. In 2024, we distributed 953 growing kits to 135 locations in 47 counties across Minnesota.

Every single garden kit provides the opportunity for hands-on learning experiences that show us that even though the garden is only a few feet wide, we can make a large impact throughout the state. A prime example of the mission of this program is shown in Le Sueur County, where a group of master gardeners made a big difference in the lives of participating children.

After taking the Children’s Garden in Residence class, a program put on through the University of Minnesota Extension’s Master Gardener education program, Cheryl Amundson gathered a group of dedicated master gardeners to apply for our GIAB program. They were awarded 9 grow kits, which they utilized to put on a 7-week class encouraging students to grow their curiosity, care for the environment and explore the nutrition benefits of homegrown produce. Read more about their story in the 2024 Winter issue of Northern Gardener® magazine

Who is Garden-in-a-Box For?

We work hard to make GIAB an accessible program. Whether you are a part of a nonprofit, school, childcare center or community organization that supports youth and low-income families, you are welcome and encouraged to apply for this program. We also encourage master gardeners and SNAP educators to partner with local organizations or start gardening programs with community members. Being part of GIAB provides you with the opportunity to enhance your local community by providing easy access to gardens no matter where you are located in the state.

The process to apply for GIAB is easy. Applications for the 2025 season opened in mid-November of 2024 and close in late January 2025. After applications are approved, we contact you to determine exactly what types of plants and seeds you’d like to grow. Then, materials are either distributed in person or shipped to you during the month of May.

How to Apply for Garden-in-a-Box

Check out our GIAB webpage now to apply for the program. Applications are open until January 27^th, 2025. If you need some assistance, here are some tips & tricks to submit a successful Garden-in-a-Box Application:

Step 1

Spend some time looking over our full list of participant requirements before starting your project.

• Due to the nature of the program, we do have requirements for the location of your garden, coordinator responsibilities and how you communicate with us.

Step 2

Create a team of 2-5 people to help coordinate and manage the project.

• Gardening is lots of work and shouldn’t be on the shoulders of just one person. Successful gardens rely on several community members to help lighten the load. The traditional adage is true: “Many hands make light work.”

• Reach out to your networks and see who might be interested in helping. You’d be surprised who is with you in your community. Many people are interested in and want to garden but do not have the space themselves, so you might be able to get more support or gardeners than you originally thought.

Step 3

Come prepared with all your application answers.

• Read through all of the application questions before sitting down to write your answers. The best applications have thorough answers that have been edited multiple times.
• This is best as a group activity! Grab a group of dedicated coordinators and participants to help you fully answer every question.

Step 4

Spend some time generating ideas and plans for your organization’s/community’s garden. It is inspiring, fun and rewarding to garden plan as a community. The more ideas you are able to generate, the more support you will get for the plan.

After reaching out to your network, you might have come across a master gardener or SNAP educator. These are great connections to have and can help you come up with achievable and useful garden plans, answer your questions about what is going on with a dying plant and even help teach your participants about different aspects of gardening. If you didn’t come across one, don’t worry—if you are accepted into the program, we can connect you with either one, if you desire.

If you are a master gardener or SNAP educator, there are multiple ways you can support GIAB. By applying for your own garden kits and leading a program or by signing up to volunteer with our signature programs, you can help gardeners of all ages, all over the state of Minnesota grow.

Keep Growing with Us

Planting a seed shows that we believe in the future and want to nurture it until it grows big and tall with some fruit. Our Garden-in-a-Box program encourages this same thing: we connect new gardeners of all ages with seeds to plant and help them nurture their harvest and establish hope, curiosity and care for our future. If you want to help support this program and our mission, here are some additional things you can do:

• Read more about our programs
• Volunteer with MSHS
• Donate to the Minnesota Horticultural Society