The Arkansas Department of Agriculture announced on May 31 that it is now accepting entries for the annual Arkansas Grown School Garden of the Year Contest, in partnership with Farm Credit. Schools, early childhood education centers, and alternative learning environments that operated a school garden during the 2025–2026 school year or plan to begin one in 2026–2027 are encouraged to apply.
Greg Cole, President and CEO of AgHeritage Farm Credit Services, said, “We’re proud to support a program that gives students such meaningful, hands‑on experiences. When kids get the chance to plant, grow, and harvest food themselves, it opens their eyes to the role agriculture plays in their everyday lives.”
Wes Ward, Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture, said, “Investing in school gardens is investing in Arkansas’s future. These hands‑on learning experiences give students real opportunities to explore agriculture and nutrition. We’re grateful to Farm Credit for supporting a program that continues to grow stronger every year.”
Entries will be accepted through June 26, 2026. The application is available online and contest winners will be announced in fall 2026. Award categories include Best Start-Up School Garden Proposal ($500), Best Education-Based School Garden ($500), Best Harvest Partnership School Garden ($500), Best Community Collaboration School Garden ($500), Best Overall School Garden ($1,000), and Champion of School Garden Sustainability ($1,000).
Established in 2014 by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture with Farm Credit as sponsor for contest awards each year, the program encourages schools to involve students directly in growing and harvesting fresh foods. Since its inception, more than 70 school gardens have been recognized across the state with over $48,000 awarded for continued growth.
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture serves as a state government agency focused on resource conservation and industry support according to the official website. The department manages an agricultural sector contributing more than $24.3 billion annually with about 37,400 farms spanning roughly 13.7 million acres according to the official website. It also oversees funding through boards allocating millions for research and market development in commodities such as rice and soybeans according to the official website, promotes access to safe water supplies according to the official website, maintains Baucum Nursery producing millions of seedlings yearly for reforestation efforts according to the official website, and honors outstanding forest management through its annual Forest Stewards of the Year recognition according to the official website.
Additional information about this year’s contest can be found at the organization’s press release.
