The Giving Grove

In 2018, we began a partnership with a Kansas City based organization called The Giving Grove. Their mission to make healthy food accessible to whole communities is so similar to our own that it was a natural partnership. In our inaugural year with The Giving Grove, they provided us with many physical resources and extensive training for our staff. Our orchard program would not be possible without the support of The Giving Grove.  

While The Big Garden will provide a lifetime of technical support and training to the folks who tend to the orchard, the orchards themselves belong to the partnering sites, not to The Big Garden. This means that the care of the orchard is up to a few individuals, called ‘stewards’ at each site. The Giving Grove stewards are the backbone of this program, and altogether The Giving Grove stewards will help to produce more than 634,000 pounds of food over the lifetime of these trees.

As of the spring of 2020, The Big Garden has planted 142 trees and 50 brambles at 17 sites around the Omaha-metro.  Nationwide, The Giving Grove program has helped plant 241 orchards across 4 states. That equates to over 55 million pounds of fresh produce across the nation! Those little orchards make a big impact!

If you and your organization are interested in installing a community orchard in partnership with The Big Garden and The Giving Grove, please reach out. Plantings occur every spring and fall.

Omaha-metro area: Brittany Puncochar - 402.906.2714 - bbeyer@BigGarden.org.
Kansas (excluding Johnson & Wyandotte Counties): Tom Neal - 402.898.9862 - tneal@BigGarden.org
Kansas City area (Johnson & Wyandotte Counties): The Giving Grove info@givinggrove.org