Vegetable Garden Awarded Grants

March 3, 2026

The Charlevoix Area Garden Club has been awarded a 2026 “Plant America” Grant from the National Garden Clubs, Inc. The funds will be used to expand infrastructure at the Club’s Community Vegetable Garden in order to increase production of fresh, organic produce to be donated to the Charlevoix Community Food Pantry. A committee reviewing grant applications evaluated 127 applications submitted from across the United States, and the club’s Community Vegetable Garden project was awarded $1960.00.

The CAGC Community Vegetable Garden - summer 2025

A second grant - the 2026 Espoma Organic Plant America Grant, was awarded to the project. This grant allows the CAGC to receive up to $250 of organic soil and soil amendment products to use in the Community Vegetable Garden.

The Charlevoix Area Garden Club (CAGC) created the Community Vegetable Garden in 2024 as a part of the “Plant America – Feed America” initiative and the Michigan Garden Clubs’ “Gardening with Purpose” initiative. It is one of the nine Civic Gardens that the club maintains in Charlevoix. The garden is located in the Charlevoix City Garden plots off of State Street near the Charlevoix airport.

The vegetables grown in the CAGC plot are all donated to the Charlevoix Community Food Pantry. In its 2025 season, the garden produced over 400 pounds of fresh produce using organic methods - which was gratefully recieved by the volunteers at the Food Pantry. Members of the Food Pantry Board of Directors stated "It was lovely to be able to share the bounty with our clients."

With funding from National Garden Clubs’ Plant America Grant, as well as the Espoma Organics Grant, the CAGC is excited to make capital improvements to increase our yield and continue to grow organically. The funds will be used to construct raised beds, new trellises, and drip irrigation lines, and to purchase high quality soil and weed mat. In 2026 we plan to double the size of our garden plot to increase production. We also hope to

inspire others in our community to grow their own food and to donate their surplus to those in need.

If you are interested in renting a City of Charlevoix Community Garden plot, visit the City of Charlevoix website: https://charlevoixmi.gov/230/Garden-Plots

For more information about the Charlevoix Community Food Pantry: https://chxcommunityfoodpantry.com