MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With the first day of spring right around the corner, gardeners across North America are eager to get their hands dirty and begin planting in their community plots. Fiskars, a leading global supplier of consumer products for the home, garden and outdoors, is ready to lend a helping hand and announce the recipients of the 2016 Project Orange Thumb garden grants. Out of more than 400 applications submitted, 30 recipients were selected to each receive $3,500 in cash and tools to support their own community gardens.
Fiskars’ Project Orange Thumb has provided over $1.6 million to more than 180 community groups in the 14 years since the program was started. With the goal of strengthening community ties, growing healthy food and beautifying community gardens across North America, Fiskars is proud to offer grants and tools to support local, hand-grown food sources.
An editorial board of influential garden writers and bloggers collaborated with Fiskars to help select the grant recipients. Returning this year were Chris Lambton of Life, Love, and Landscaping; Russell Van Kraayenburg of Chasing Delicious; Robin Horton of Urban Gardens; Bren Haas of Creative Living and Growing with Bren; and Gayla Trail of You Grow Girl. Two new additions were made, expanding the breadth of the editorial board’s gardening expertise with the welcoming of Helen Yoest of Gardening with Confidence and freelance journalist and Fiskars garden writer, Marty Ross.
“Fiskars’ Project Orange Thumb highlights the importance of community collaboration to help make a positive impact on the lives of many people. We’re excited to celebrate this group of driven organizations that look to better their neighborhoods and create healthier communities for future generations,” said Fiskars Americas President Paul Tonnesen.
Garden grant recipients include:
- Takshanuk Watershed Council, Haines, Alaska
- Western Sierra YouthBuild, Grass Valley, Calif.
- Malama Kaua’i, Kilauea, Hawaii
- Thornton Township High School, Harvey, Ill.
- Springfield YMCA, Springfield, Ill.
- Table to Table, Iowa City, Iowa
- St. Mary’s Nutrition Center, Lewiston, Maine
- Boys & Girls Club of Harford County, Aberdeen, Md.
- Benjamin’s Hope, Holland, Mich.
- West Main Hill Neighborhood Association, Kalamazoo, Mich.
- Loaves and Fishes, Minneapolis, Minn.
- The Family Place, St. Paul, Minn.
- Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, Oxford, Miss.
- Little Big Horn College Extension, Crow Agency, Mont.
- Edison Township School District, Edison, N.J.
- Harlem Grown, New York, N.Y.
- Northwood Group of Companies, Bedford, N.S.
- Partners for Care, Halifax, N.S.
- Working in Neighborhoods, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Mansfield Memorial Homes, Mansfield, Ohio
- Chahta Foundation, Durant, Okla.
- Boy Scouts of America - Northeast OK Veterans, Jay, Okla.
- Free Spirit Gardens, Collingwood, Ont.
- Roots to Harvest, Thunder Bay, Ont.
- Joan Austin Elementary School, Newberg, Ore.
- Plum Borough School District, Pittsburgh, Pa.
- Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre, Saskatoon, Sask.
- Belle W. Baruch Foundation, Georgetown, S.C.
- Seattle Tilth, Seattle, Wash.
- Boys & Girls Club of Dane County, Madison, Wis.
For further information on the Project Orange Thumb program and the 2016 grant recipients, visit fiskars.com/ProjectOrangeThumb and view the community gardening infographic.
ABOUT FISKARS
Fiskars Corporation is a leading global supplier of consumer products for the home, garden and outdoors. The world famous orange-handled scissors are a registered trademark of Fiskars Corporation. The group has a strong portfolio of trusted international brands including Fiskars (the World’s #1 Scissors Brand), Iittala and Gerber. Additionally the Fiskars Americas portfolio includes Gilmour, Nelson and Gingher. Founded in 1649, Fiskars has more than 365 years of product quality excellence and is Finland’s oldest company. Please visit www.fiskars.com.
