The Crookston School District’s food service program and the Crookston High School agriculture/shop department have been selected as recipients of the 2026 Whole Kids Garden Grant for their new greenhouse.
The grant is issued by the Whole Foods Market Foundation annually to schools across the country for the construction or expansion of an educational gardening space or greenhouse. The goal of the grant is to help schools provide a space for kids to learn about gardening and harvest locally-grown produce for their schools. “This grant is utilized for school gardens in order to build an entirely new project or to build onto something that already exists, so it can be used to maintain, or it can be used to create a program within a school district,” said Scheresky. “So we’re choosing to utilize this funding for the current greenhouse that’s being built right now, and just making sure that we can hit the ground running this school year and get some plants grown in there.”
Scheresky helped with the grant-writing process after the school submitted an application in 2025, but was not selected. The school’s 2026 application was submitted earlier this year, and they were notified this month that they will receive $3,500 in funding for the high school greenhouse project. The district is expected to receive the grant check ahead of the next Crookston School Board meeting in September.
Scheresky is excited about the amount of funding the district is receiving for this project, which has been under construction since June 2025. She knows the impact the greenhouse will have on students, as they will gain valuable hands-on learning while growing food they can enjoy at school. “It’s going to be awesome,” Scheresky said. “We will be able to show students the life cycle of plants, where their food comes from, and the benefits of locally grown produce. It might develop a little bit of interest and passion for growing locally sourced food as a hobby or as their career when they go on outside of the Crookston School District. And then, in terms of how it’ll affect Crookston food service, we’re planning on having a relationship with the agriculture program and maybe serving some of those locally grown items that the students got to have a hand in making.”
Industrial Tech teacher Travis Oliver provided an update on the greenhouse’s construction over the summer. Currently, there are a few finishing touches to complete the roof, and the electrical has been wired and installed. As students return for the new school year, they will help finish the greenhouse’s exterior, add wall and post coverings, and build interior tables.
Oliver expects his students to have the greenhouse fully finished this fall, so plants can be moved in before winter.
