Click on each question to view the answers:

Eligible active Master Gardeners include:

  • Certified Active Master Gardeners (Defined as a Master Gardener of any level having participated in and tracked volunteer activity during the current calendar year.)
  • New Master Gardener trainees pursuing certification hours
  • Master Gardeners seeking recertification hours

Yes! Past grantees may apply for funding again. 

The primary Master Gardener applicant will be expected to:

  • Establish a partnership with the produce donation site
  • Complete all self-paced trainings shortly after receiving grant
  • Plant and manage the donation garden
  • Facilitate produce donations
  • Track reporting metrics & complete final report at end of grant year
  • Coordinate with Nutrition Education Program staff to provide indirect education materials at garden site and/or produce donation site

You may, but priority will be given to projects that are located on public property such as community gardens. If you are requesting funds for a project that will be located on private property, it must be fully accessible to the public for the purposes of this project.

We have determined that fruit trees are an allowable purchase with a few caveats:

  • We will not fund fruit trees for first-time applicants as we will need to see evidence of continuted commitment to making produce donations for multiple years.
  • Funding for fruit trees will be a lower priority since they will not produce fruit for at least a couple of years.
  • Projects that only request funding for fruit trees will not be funded. If funds are requested for fruit trees, Master Gardeners must request funding to grow produce that can be donated during the current growing season.

No, produce grown with GTMT funds cannot be sold, it must be used for donation purposes only.

Yes! Produce may be donated to multiple locations such as pantries, senior centers, women's shelters, etc.

Priority will go to funding sustainable community garden projects, or those that have a plan for continuing produce donations for years to come even if they are no longer receiving GTMT funding. For any gardens that won't be sustained, we would ask that the Master Gardeners work with their local Extension office or donation site to leave the tools for future MGs to use on donation projects.

Yes! Ideally there would be multiple Master Gardeners supporting this project, but it is not completely necessary as long as the primary applicant is a Master Gardener. Other individuals that wish to volunteer with your project do not have to be Master Gardeners.

Yes, grant funds may be used to support multiple donation gardens within the same community. Applications that request funds for multiple garden sites should provide a detailed description of how much funding will be allocated to each site, and what that funding will be used for at each site. 

If it is challenging to locate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-eligible audiences or organizations that serve this audience in your community, begin by checking the Montana Food Bank Network's website to see if there are any local emergency food resources. Additionally, consider reaching out to the local Extension agent as they may know of other eligible donation sites such as senior meal programs or women's shelters.

Including as much detail as possible will make the purchasing process go quickly and smoothly. Please include the following items:

  • Each item you wish to purchase and the quantity
  • The exact cost for each item
  • The vendor that you wish to purchase from (include link to item if possible)

Example:

4 x Harvest Totes @ $10.99 each from Montana Hardware Store (www.exampleinternetlink.com)

Yes! We will prioritize purchasing items from local businesses whenever possible. Items that are not able to be purchased locally will be purchased online and shipped to the Master Gardener.

The MSU Extension Nutrition Education Program (NEP) will provide all direct and indirect nutrition education associated with this project. Master Gardeners are not required to provide any nutrition education, but they will be expected to connect with NEP staff upon receiving a grant to assist with planning nutrition education efforts. Master Gardeners may provide basic gardening education in coordination with their local Extension Agent if they wish.

To find a Master Gardener course in your area, please visit the Montana Master Gardener website at https://mtmastergardener.org and select your county under the heading "Find a Master Gardener Course". That will direct you to your local MSU County Extension office/agent who will host local Master Gardener courses. 

This Institution Is An Equal Opportunity Provider.