The goal of the program is to give people in difficulty the chance to grow their own fruit and vegetables to put food on their family’s table. Under the auspices of this program, support is given to the efforts of industrious non-profit organizations to involve and help people in difficulty, who are nevertheless enterprising and active members of their community, to help themselves by doing work that improves their quality of life.
The 2023 project competition is completed.
This year already 30 non-profit organizations are involving at least 860 households in gardening projects. Since 2017, this is the largest number of organizations and households that will grow food for themselves and their families through gardening projects.
The organization will involve at least 2,690 residents - adults and children in all regions of Latvia - in garden work. 9 projects will be implemented in Kurzeme, 9 in Vidzeme, 5 in Zemgale, 6 in Latgale, and 1 project of the "Ziedot.lv" Foundation covers the whole of Latvia. In 2023, the Boris and Inaras Teterev Foundation awarded the largest amount of the program in grants so far - EUR 61,915.
Organizations provide seeds, plants, and gardening supplies for both the gardens of families in need and the gardens managed by societies. The activities give both material support and an opportunity to learn new skills - participants receive advice from specialists and gardening enthusiasts to grow the best possible harvest.
On average, each family is responsible for tending 400 square meters of land. Most frequently, families choose to grow potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, onions, beetroot, and cucumbers.
The organizations acknowledge that the projects also have a unifying role, as the children and relatives of the participants also involve themselves in the work. In addition, many donate part of what is grown to social centers, soup kitchens, or people who cannot take care of themselves. Thus, participants have the opportunity to also give rather than receive.
Project competitions of the previous years
In 2022, support was provided to 23 non-profit organizations, that wanted to involve people in the gardening work, so they can provide food for themselves and their families.
Active people were involved in gardening work - 814 households in 22 counties and 4 cities. 7 organizations in Kurzeme, 7 in Vidzeme, 3 in Zemgale, and 5 in Latgale participated in the program. People from the regions of the respective organizations participated in their projects. On the other hand, the Ziedot.lv project covered the whole of Latvia. The Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation awarded grants in the amount of EUR 42,900 to these works.
Read more about the results in the INFOGRAPHIC "Harvest in 2022".
In 2021, 20 non-profit organizations received the support of the program. These involved local people in gardening works. 7 projects were supported in Kurzeme, 5 - in Vidzeme, 2 - in Zemgale, 5 - in Latgale, and 1 project that covered the whole of Latvia. The Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation has awarded grants for these works in the amount of more than 35'000 euros.
Read more about the results in the INFOGRAPHIC "Harvest in 2021".
In 2020, 12 non-profit organizations received support. They implemented projects in their regions, involving active people in 17 municipalities. 5 projects in Kurzeme, 4 projects in Vidzeme, 1 project in Zemgale, and 2 projects in Latgale were supported. Although in the spring the organizations planned to involve 250 households (800 people) in agricultural work, the results have turned out to be more excellent - more than 350 households, covering more than 1250 people, participated in the projects; the majority - large families.
Read more about the results in the INFOGRAPHIC "Harvest in 2020".
Also, in the 2019 project competition, 12 non-profit organizations received support. 3 projects in Latgale, 2 projects in Vidzeme, 3 projects in Zemgale, and 4 projects in Kurzeme received support. Although at the beginning of the year, the organizations planned to involve 206 households (800 people) in farming, the results were more impressive. In 2019, 287 households participated in the projects, covering 1 101 persons, including 467 children.
Read more about what has been achieved in 2019 in the "Harvest in 2019" INFOGRAPHIC.
Previously, in 2017, support was provided to 15 organizations, which distributed seeds, plants, and gardening accessories to families in 21 districts that find themselves in difficulty to enable them to do horticultural work to provide food for their family table. 436 families were involved in the gardening work, comprised of 1,581 people, of whom 778 were children.
More detailed information - is in the "Harvest in 2017" INFOGRAPHIC.
This program continues the work done under the “Support for Participating” activity that was part of the “A Piece of Bread” program (2013-2016). Under the auspices of this activity, a total of 2`500 people took part in a total of 28 projects, growing fruit and vegetables to put on their family’s table or earning additional income to meet their family’s needs. Learn more about examples of successfully implemented projects in the following video stories:
