Startup CPG Newswire:
Grady’s Garden Receives USDA Funding to Advance Innovative Health and Nutrition Education for Children in Underserved Communities

PRESS RELEASE — NEWS PROVIDED BY Angela Klinske for Grady’s Garden

JANESVILLE, Wis., November 21, 2024 – Grady’s Garden – a food and nutrition, edutainment and technology company – is the proud recipient of a Phase II award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) as part of the USDA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. This investment will advance Grady’s Garden’s latest initiative, a digital edutainment app designed to teach about health and nutrition and improve health outcomes, particularly among children of color who live in underserved communities.

Grady’s Garden is one of 42 small businesses nationally chosen for its commitment to conducting high-quality research that addresses critical scientific challenges and opportunities in agriculture.

SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs at the USDA offer competitively awarded grants to qualified small businesses to support high-quality research related to important scientific problems and opportunities in agriculture that could lead to significant public benefits, including improving food and nutrition security.

At the heart of Grady’s Garden’s work is Grady’s Classroom™, a 501(c)(3) organization that offers an educational curriculum at K-6 schools and afterschool and summer programs to teach children about the importance of healthy eating and living active lifestyles by gardening. Through these fun and engaging programs, children learn how to grow their own vegetables, understand the value of nutrition, and develop lifelong healthy habits.

The curriculum is based on Grady’s Garden’s animated show that chronicles the lives of six kids who decide to build an urban garden. Results from pre-post tests with children in second and third grades have demonstrated significant improvement in identifying vegetables and willingness to try these vegetables. For example, children who engaged with the “Let’s Plant a Salad” materials improved x-75% in terms of identified and reporting increased willingness to try celery, collards, onions, and romaine lettuce.

“This USDA grant builds on the foundational work of the Grady’s Garden app,” said Mike Wheeler, co-founder of Grady’s Garden and Grady’s Classroom. “The first phase of the app has already shown promising results, and now we will continue developing the app to bring the education and interactive technology to a broader, global audience who may not be reached in a traditional classroom setting.”

Grady’s Garden plans to provide the app to school districts, afterschool and summer programs, families, and food retail partners interested in collaborating in improving children’s health.

For more information about USDA’s SBIR/STTR programs, visit USDA NIFA’s website.

About Grady’s Garden

Founded in 2021, Grady’s Garden is a food and nutrition, edutainment and technology company. Grady’s Garden sells a signature line of salsas and pasta sauces at select Midwest locations, including Meijer and Fresh Thyme. All products are chef crafted with locally sourced ingredients and contain no added sugar and artificial flavors. Net proceeds from all food sales support 501(c)(3) organization Grady’s Classroom, an outreach program designed to educate elementary-aged kids about healthy lifestyles and the importance of eating and growing vegetables through family and community gardening.

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