Pinnacle Foods-Owned Farmer's Garden(TM) by Vlasic(R) and National Gardening Association Congratulate 2011 "Farm to School Project" Grant Winners

Grant Helps 35 Urban Schools Nationwide Build and Maintain Gardens.

MOUNTAIN LAKES, NJ (December 30, 2011) -- Thirty-five schools is urban cities throughout the country were selected from thousands of gardening programs nationwide by the National Gardening Association (NGA) (http://www.farmersgardenvlasic.com/nga/) to receive a 2011 “Farm to School Project” grant from Farmer’s Garden™ by Vlasic® (http://www.farmersgardenbyvlasic.com), a Pinnacle Foods Group LLC brand.

The grant was allocated among the following winning schools, each of which received a $1,100 Farmer’s Garden™ by Vlasic® Farm to School Project kit stocked full of indoor and outdoor gardening supplies, including a tiered light garden for starting seeds, seed starting kit, plant beds, tool kits, composter, kids gloves, nutrition books and more:

• University Place Elementary (Tuscaloosa, AL)
• Imagine Schools at Avondale (Avondale, AZ)
• Melrose Elementary (Los Angeles, CA)
• Pacific Beach Middle School (San Diego, CA)
• St. James School (San Francisco, CA)
• Denver Green School (Denver, CO)
• PAL @ Stanton Elementary (Washington, DC)
• Richmond Heights Middle (Miami, FL)
• David Lawrence Jr. K-8 Center (North Miami, FL)
• Roscoe Academy (Chicago, IL)
• Topeka Public School (Topeka, KS)
• RSD School District-Dr. Charles Drew School (New Orleans, LA)
• Maria L. Baldwin School (Cambridge, MA)
• Campus Learning Center (Lawrence, MA)
• Dearborn Middle School (Roxbury, MA)
• Baltimore Montessori Public Charter (Baltimore, MD)
• Lyseth Elementary Garden Club (Portland , ME)
• Genesee Intermediate School (Flint, MI)
• Garlough Environmental Magnet (West St Paul, MN)
• University City Children's Center (St. Louis, MO)
• Brier Creek Elementary School (Raleigh, NC)
• Duncan Elementary (Omaha, NE)
• Chaplain Charles J. Watters School (Jersey City, NJ)
• Salazar Elementary School (Santa Fe, NM)
• Bertha Ronzone Elementary (Las Vegas, NV)
• Duncan Elementary (Reno, NV)
• MS442 (Brooklyn, NY)
• P373R The Robert Randall School (Staten Island, NY)
• Dater Montessori School (Cincinnati, OH)
• Belmont Academy Charter (Philadelphia, PA)
• Meeting Street Academy (Charleston, SC)
• Dr. William H. Brewster Elementary (Memphis, TN)
• Park Place Elementary (Houston, TX)
• Champlain Elementary School (Burlington, VT)
• Glendale Elementary (Madison, WI)

The gardens give children the opportunity to learn about fresh fruits and vegetables through a mentored, hands-on learning environment. The students will be able to see the gardening process from start to finish, and taste the fruits of their labor.

“Each school program was selected because of its continued commitment to actively and creatively engaging youth in the gardening process,” said National Gardening Association President Michael Metallo. The NGA promotes home, school and community gardening as a means to renew and sustain the essential connections between people, plants and the environment. “The National Gardening Association proudly supports this important children’s garden for their respective communities.”

The partnership with NGA, a nonprofit leader in plant-based education for more than 35 years, underscores Farmer’s Garden™ by Vlasic’s® commitment to honest ingredients, and support of the farm to table lifestyle. The “Farm to School Project” also helps engage children's imaginations, spark their creative forces, and teach them how to keep a healthy and balanced diet.

“Children at these schools will now have an opportunity to experience fruits and vegetables through hands-on learning through their very own ‘edible classroom’,” said Vlasic Marketing Director, Greg Greene. “Farmer’s Garden™ by Vlasic® is proud to be able to recognize the teachers’ dedication and efforts in showing kids the importance of produce in their lives.”

To learn more about Farmer’s Garden™ by Vlasic®, visit http://www.farmersgardenbyvlasic.com. To learn more about the NGA's school gardening initiatives, visit http://www.kidsgardening.org.

About Pinnacle Foods Group LLC
Millions of times a day in more than 85% of American households, consumers reach for Pinnacle Foods brands. We are a leading producer, marketer and distributor of high-quality branded food products, which have been trusted household names for decades. Headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, our business employs more than 4,300 people in North America. We are a leader in the shelf stable and frozen foods segments and our brands hold the #1 or #2 market position in 10 out of 13 major category segments in which they compete. Our Duncan Hines Grocery Division manages brands such as Duncan Hines® baking mixes and frostings, Vlasic® pickles, peppers, and relish, Comstock® and Wilderness® Fruit Pie Fillings, Mrs. Butterworth’s® and Log Cabin® syrups, Armour® canned meats, Nalley® and Brooks® chili and chili ingredients, and Open Pit® barbecue sauces. Our Birds Eye Frozen Division manages brands such as Birds Eye®, Birds Eye Steamfresh®, C&W®, McKenzie’s®, and Fresh like® vegetables, Birds Eye Voila!® complete bag meals, Aunt Jemima® frozen breakfasts, Swanson® and Hungry-Man® dinners and entrees, Van de Kamp’s® and Mrs. Paul’s® seafood, Lender’s® bagels and Celeste® pizza. Our Specialty Foods Division manages Tim’s Cascade Snacks®, Hawaiian™ Kettle Style Potato Chips, Snyder of Berlin® and Husman’s® in addition to our food service and private label businesses. Further information is available at http://www.pinnaclefoods.com.

About National Gardening Association
About the National Gardening Association Founded in 1973, National Gardening Association (NGA) is a national nonprofit leader in plant-based education, respected for its award-winning, information-rich websites and newsletters; grants, curricula, and resources for youth gardens; and research for the lawn and garden industry. NGA’s mission is to promote home, school, and community gardening as a means to renew and sustain the essential connection between people, plants, and the environment. To learn more about gardening with children, please visit http://www.kidsgardening.org.

Media Contacts:
Mike Metallo
National Gardening Association (NGA)
802-863-5251 x123
mikem@garden.org

Mary Sudasassi
Pinnacle Foods Group, LLC
1 Bloomfield Avenue
Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046-1429
305-448-6163
mary.sudasassi@rbbpr.com
http://www.farmersgardenbyvlasic.com

This release was published on openPR.