Elma School District’s garden program received a $3,000 grant from Northwest Farm Credit Services.

“Elma FFA extends a huge thank-you to Northwest Farm Credit Services for their support of our brand-new school garden at Elma Middle School,” Ariel Finfrock, a career and technical education teacher and Future Farmers of America adviser for the district, said in a release from NFCS. “Our grant will be used to install a garden featuring raised beds for growing vegetables, berries, wildflowers and other native plants.”

In July, The Vidette wrote about students building farms at the middle school. Teachers and students were putting together raised metal beds for the plants before building a door and encasing the garden in fencing. At the time, organizers had raised about $6,000 through grants, including from NFCS and the national FFA organization.

“NFCS has committed over $183,000 to 153 projects in rural communities across Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Since the program’s inception in 2007, it has awarded 1,145 grants totaling more than $1.94 million,” the NFCS release states.