Giving Grove

04/01/2025

Did you know? 💡 90% of businesses say partnering with reputable nonprofits boosts their brand, while 89% believe it helps them make a bigger impact on the community! 🤝 Let’s make a difference together!

Check out our latest blog to learn how partnerships through The Giving Grove are transforming communities and fostering a greener, healthier future! 🌱🌳

givinggrove.org/blog-reference/corporate-partnerships

03/28/2025

A Dallas native with a deep love for the rich flavors of Texas & Louisiana, Chef and author Amber Williams has a background in creating elevated culinary experiences for special events. In 2023, she released the Surviving the Food Desert Cookbook & Resource Guide to help communities affected by food insecurity. 📖

Featured on Food Network, USA Today, and Essence, Amber is committed to making healthy, sustainable food accessible for all. 🥬 🍽

Join her mission to empower through food and knowledge by attending our April 10 🗓 Planting Promise event where Amber will be our guest speaker! Visit https://loom.ly/v9VrRao to purchase tickets while they last!

The Planting Promise is a luncheon that brings together individuals who share our passion for community, sustainability, and the beauty of nature. Held annually in the spring.

03/26/2025

👀 Sneak peek! Every Planting Promise guest gets one of these gorgeous cotton totes — perfect for orchard strolls, farmers markets, or just showing off your good taste. 🌱👜

Big thanks to our in-kind sponsor Perfect Promotions for making these beauties happen!

🎟️ Snag your single ticket while they last — don’t miss out on the swag and the celebration! www.givinggrove.org/planting-promise

💥Orchard Stewards are eligible for discounted tickets! Email [email protected] for the coupon code.

03/25/2025

On March 10-11, The Giving Grove had the pleasure of hosting staff from our affiliate programs, The Nashville Food Project and Seed St. Louis, for a special visit to Kansas City!

During their time here, we explored several Giving Grove orchards, toured Kansas City Community Gardens, and even got our hands in the soil at a planting with Kansas City Urban Farm Co-Op. 🌱🌳

These in-person visits outside of our annual conference are such a valuable opportunity to connect, learn, and grow together. We’re grateful for the time spent with our incredible affiliates and the impact they’re making in their communities!

03/22/2025

🍏🌍 Climate change is threatening apple crops, but there’s hope! Researchers are turning to Michigan’s native sweet crabapple to protect future apple production. 🍎🌱

Curious how this could help? Read more in the full article — https://loom.ly/Ntcbk90

03/20/2025

Our Planting Promise luncheon with keynote speaker, Amber Williams is less than a month away - Grab your ticket while you still can!
🎟 givinggrove.org/planting-promise 🎟

03/17/2025

When food prices are high and pantry options feel limited, creativity in the kitchen becomes essential. That’s exactly what Chef Amber Williams celebrates in her cookbook Surviving the Food Desert. One of her standout recipes, Stuffed Cornbread, recently proved to be a game-changer for Giving Grove's Sarah Sikich—easy to make, packed with protein, vegetables, and grains, and a hit with the whole family!

Born from Chef Amber’s own experience growing up in a food desert, this dish reflects the ingenuity and resilience of stretching ingredients to create something nourishing and delicious. Her perspective on food access and culinary creativity is one you won’t want to miss at Planting Promise on April 10!

Join us as we welcome Chef Amber Williams .williams.3914 as our keynote speaker—her insights will be just as inspiring as her recipes. Click the link for tickets! 🎟 https://loom.ly/v9VrRao

03/14/2025

We're excited for this year's Planting Promise menu! 🍽 Learn more about this delicious luncheon at givinggrove.org/planting-promise. ✨April 10 at Rumely Historic Event Space in KC✨

🎟Tickets are on sale now🎟 Orchard stewards are eligible for discounts - Please contact us at [email protected] to receive a coupon code or with your questions about the event.

03/11/2025

It's that time of year again! Late winter, just before spring is the best time to prune your apple trees. Ryan, our National Orchard Operations & Education Manager wants to share some quick tips with you to get this season started off fruitfully! 🍎🍏

03/09/2025

🌳 Pawpaw trees are known to produce North America’s largest native fruit with tasty tropical flavors 🍌🥭, but they also have a wild side! New research from WashU shows how pawpaw patches can create unpredictable changes in plant diversity. While they might be great for foodies, they’re not always so friendly to the forest floor. 🌳

Learn more here https://loom.ly/pjslq2c

03/07/2025

Have you ever stood in front of your fruit trees wondering, "Should I be spraying something on these?" 🤔 You’re not alone! If you’ve ever been curious about holistic orchard sprays—what they are, when to use them, and how they can boost your trees’ health—this FREE online workshop is for you! 🍎🍐

Join us to learn the simple secrets behind healthy trees and better fruit. No confusing jargon, just practical tips you can actually use! 🌿💦

📅 March 13, 2025 at 1-2 pm CST
📍 Online & Free!
💻 Sign up here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/sxZKBwqiSX-4dY4MfzKNAg #/registration

Tag a fellow fruit grower who needs this! 👇

03/06/2025

A look back at last year's Planting Promise! ✨ Join us this year on April 10!

Tickets are on sale now at givinggrove.org/planting-promise. Orchard stewards are eligible for discounted tickets. 🎟 Please contact us at [email protected] to receive a coupon code or for questions about the event.

03/04/2025

A peak inside Surviving The Food Desert 📖, an inspiring collection of recipes and resources to help those in areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious food. We're honored to have author and chef Amber Williams as this year's guest speaker for the Planting Promise Luncheon on April 10! Visit givinggrove.org/planting-promise for more information and tickets 🎟

03/01/2025

Thank you, Susan Mulvihill, for sharing our resources! If you’re planting fruit trees this season, don’t forget to check out our orchard education resources.

Happy 1st of March, everybody! I am beyond excited that the garden season is well and truly upon us. On Feb. 24, I wrote a post about the importance of choosing the right kind of fruit trees, based on how much effort you want to put into them. I was contacted by Sarah Sikich of The Giving Grove, which is a wonderful organization that has been setting up a nationwide network of sustainable small orchards across the country. They are doing so much good in so many communities! I wanted to share the link to their website (https://www.givinggrove.org/) with you because there are some very useful resources that can help home fruit tree growers choose fruit varieties, how to plant and maintain their trees, diagnose insect or disease problems, and much more. According to their website, "the Giving Grove supports neighborhood volunteers in planting and caring for fruit trees, nut trees, and berry brambles that improve the urban environment, increase tree canopy and provide a sustainable source of free, organically-grown food for neighborhoods facing high rates of food insecurity." And I think that is fabulous. Be sure to check out all of the great information on their site and consider donating to such a wonderful cause.

02/28/2025

🎉 Our AWARD-WINNING Annual Report is here! 🏆

Not only does it highlight all the incredible progress we've made over the past year, but it's also packed with valuable insights into the nationwide impact of urban orchards. From environmental benefits to community and health improvements, our report showcases the real change happening through urban orcharding.

If you're curious about how urban orchards are making a difference, be sure to check out this year’s Giving Grove Annual Report! 🌳

Check it out here! https://loom.ly/mwTJ35k

02/26/2025

🌿🎨 Community murals do more than just beautify spaces, they heal, connect, and empower. The mural project at GROW North Texas, a Giving Grove affiliate, is a powerful example of how art can help neighbors reclaim their space, share stories, and honor their shared history. Every brushstroke is an act of resilience, creating a vibrant hub of pride and unity. Together, we can transform our communities, one mural at a time. Visit the link below to read our latest blog ✨

www.givinggrove.org/blog-reference/gntx-mural

02/24/2025

Chef Amber Williams is the guest speaker at this year's Planting Promise event hosted by The Giving Grove. She is the author of Surviving The Food Desert 📖, a collection of recipes and resources to help you survive & thrive in places needing investment... and eat well along the journey! 🍴 Don't miss this year's luncheon on April 10. 🎟 https://www.givinggrove.org/planting-promise

02/21/2025

🎙 Featured Podcast
We are so honored to have Ashley as one of our leaders! She brings unique life experiences that make her perfect for the role of Co-Executive Director. Ashley recently had the opportunity to speak with Greg Peterson on The Urban Farm Podcast.

Take a listen here https://loom.ly/6A0OceM and learn about the inspiring and humbling journey that brought her to The Giving Grove. 🌳