“Every child deserves the opportunity to experience the joy and connection of fruits and vegetables. Together with Whole Foods Market Foundation, Newman’s Own Foundation is investing in learning spaces that nurture the next generation of food citizens.”
– Alex Amouyel, President & CEO, Newman’s Own Foundation
Most students will go through 13 years of school without ever growing their own food—yet research shows that’s exactly where healthy eating habits can take root. When students spend time in edible gardens, they develop a real relationship with what they eat. They learn where food comes from, they experiment with new flavors, and studies show they end up eating more vegetables each day because of it. Best of all, those habits don’t stop at the garden gate.
For the second year in a row, Newman’s Own Foundation is proud to join Whole Foods Market Foundation and partners to contribute $100K to its Garden Grant program, helping to award over $2.6 million in Garden Grants to 750 schools and nonprofits!
These grants will reach more than 435,000 K–12 students and help schools turn outdoor spaces into powerful hands-on learning gardens. From raised beds and greenhouses to hydroponic towers, children will discover the joy of fresh, nutritious food and develop healthy eating habits that last a lifetime.
Cultivating School Gardens Across Country
Newman’s Own Foundation provided additional funding to 57 schools in nearly all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, that are nourishing and transforming the lives of children who face adversity. These schools’ projects emphasize cultural foodways, intergenerational learning, and Indigenous food sovereignty.
What’s Growing: Themes from Garden Projects
Indigenous Food Justice & Cultural Revitalization
Whole Foods Market Foundation Garden Grantee.
Indigenous Food Justice & Cultural Revitalization
This year we’re proud to support 9 schools serving Indigenous students. These schools are using gardens to strengthen cultural identity and advance Indigenous food sovereignty through intergenerational learning and traditional foodways.
At Two Eagle River School in Pablo, Montana, students will grow, harvest, and preserve traditional foods as part of hands-on lessons. Wii Maajiikwad School in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, is pairing garden programming with land-based learning to support student well-being and sustain traditional lifeways.
Whole Foods Market Foundation Garden Grantee.
Garden to Cafeteria
Whole Foods Market Foundation Garden Grantee.
Garden to Cafeteria
School gardens are increasingly bridging food education and healthy eating, helping students grow, prepare, and enjoy fresh produce.
Collins Academy STEAM High School in Chicago, Illinois, runs an “Eat What You Grow” model that connects garden production directly to school meals and tasting events. William W. Hall Academy in Capitol Heights, Maryland, is expanding hydroponic food production and nutrition programming, giving hundreds of students hands-on experience growing and trying fresh foods. By bringing harvests into cafeterias and classrooms, these programs help students build lifelong connections to healthy eating and food systems.
Whole Foods Market Foundation Garden Grantee.
Environmental Stewardship & Sustainable Growing
Whole Foods Market Foundation Garden Grantee.
Environmental Stewardship & Sustainable Growing
Schools are turning gardens into living laboratories where students learn about soil health, composting, water conservation, and sustainable food production.
Hackett Elementary School in Hackett, Arkansas, is building outdoor and hydroponic gardens and adding composting to its programming. Chabot Elementary in Oakland, California, is restoring irrigation infrastructure to strengthen the long-term sustainability of its garden spaces, deepening students’ understanding of the link between environmental stewardship and food systems.
Whole Foods Market Foundation Garden Grantee.
Stay tuned for the next round of Whole Foods Market Foundation’s Garden Grant cycle opening February 2027!
“We’re always looking for dynamic ways to collaborate with others working to advance food justice. This unique partnership with Whole Foods Market Foundation provided an exciting opportunity to support school gardens at an essential time.”
