Growing Our Future seeks applications for herb gardening kits

Bemidji: Jan. 8—BEMIDJI — Growing Our Future is really making waves in the community. They’ve been around for almost five years now, and they’re still going strong.

After becoming a nonprofit in 2023, they’ve been all about giving out free gardening kits to kids in the area. Bridget Westrum from Bemidji State University has been leading the charge since the beginning. She started this whole thing during the pandemic when she picked up gardening as a hobby.

With a lot of community support and some grants, they’ve handed out over a thousand gardening kits to around 600 families. This year, they’re back with herb gardening kits after taking a break last year to focus on their nonprofit status.

Bridget mentioned that they had to deal with a lot of paperwork and calls to the IRS, which took away from their herb fund. But now, they’re ready to roll again and get more kits out there.

The demand has been so high that they decided to become a 501(c)3 organization. What started as a small project has grown into something much bigger. They usually have about 200 kits ready to go at a time.

Right now, they’re inviting kids 18 and under to apply for herb gardening kits on a first-come, first-served basis. Each child can only get one kit due to limited funding. The number of kits available will depend on donations, and they’re always looking for more support.

Each kit comes with everything a kid needs to start their own little garden, including pots, seeds, and even a grow light. If anyone’s interested, they can find the application form on their Facebook page or their website.

They’re working with local businesses to get these kits out by the end of January. Bridget hopes to build more partnerships to keep the funding coming in. She’s got big dreams for the future, wanting to offer different types of gardening kits throughout the year.

As she finishes her last semester at BSU, she’s committed to staying involved with Growing Our Future. She works closely with her board to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Bridget’s not sure what she’ll do after graduation, but her love for plants will definitely be a part of her life moving forward. She’s not planning to leave the area anytime soon, so she hopes to keep her connection with the program strong.