GROWN is an acronym for “Growing Resilient Optimism With Nature.”

The GROWN Project is a learning program to teach youth how to be more food literate through growing in different settings and acreage from backyard, community and school gardens to Urban farms to larger farms. It focuses on growing, harvesting, cooking, processing and offer potential career path internships to older youth.

GROWN provides an opportunity for young people (many at-risk) to find a sense of place in their community, instill confidence and offers training in leadership skills. It offers an opportunity for increased physical and mental health via growing healthy food in the context of community, thereby countering some of the negative emotional impacts experienced by children and youth in these times of cultural upheaval.

We are still in the seedling stages of this project and are starting slowly, partnering with programs at 4 schools around Butte County with a couple of community garden spaces in both Paradise and Chico/Durham. We urge all food stakeholders (everyone who eats) to join us and make this an exciting program that returns kids to the joy of growing food in community and inspires some to be our future farmers.