Burpee Home Gardens receives hundreds of applicants for garden award

Nearly 200 schools and organizations applied for the 2011 “I Can Grow” Youth Garden Award from Burpee Home Gardens. The award, announced last fall, will sponsor and support urban school and community garden installations in five U.S. cities this spring. Winners will receive up to 500 vegetable and herb plants, a generous donation for garden supplies, on-site assistance and more.
 “We are overwhelmed at the response for this award and with the amount of organizations eager to bring vegetable gardening into the classroom and community,” said Carolyn Dixon, national sales manager for Burpee Home Gardens.
The “I Can Grow” Youth Garden Award will be presented to established or start-up programs that have demonstrated a well-developed and staffed plan for a youth-centered educational gardening program with emphasis on nutrition and food production, environmental awareness, social responsibility and scholastic integration. The five winning applications will be announced this month.