Mary Lyon Foundation’s Agricultural Grant Funding Helps Build a Community Garden at Bug Hill Farm

No matter your financial situation, we all deserve access to affordable, fresh, local vegetables and food harvested with a bit of extra love and care. That’s why the Mary Lyon Foundation has a well-established partnership with Greenfield Cooperative Bank. The Foundation receives $750 annually in grant funding. This funding serves multiple purposes – helping to support agricultural programs in our local schools and most recently, the Foundation is supporting the development of the Community Garden at Bug Hill Farm.

This year, Colrain Central School used a portion of the grant funds to plant a pollinator garden. The plants were purchased locally from Native Plant Trust (Nasami Farm) in Whately, helping to provide native pollinator plants in support of Colrain’s Service-Learning Program led by educator Talia Miller. Additionally, through the grant funding allocated to Bug Hill Farm, all vegetables grown in the garden will be donated to the Ashfield Food Pantry, showcasing the power of plants, vegetables, education, and community giving.