The Giving Groveย is an agricultural nonprofit in Kansas City, MO, in conjunction with Kansas City Community Gardens. It establishes and supports orchards in low-income neighborhoods by partnering with local nonprofits, communities of faith, and health agencies. Fruit from 176 orchards is made freely available to the local community or donated to food pantries.
They received a $3,015 grant to build and install Japanese beetle traps, designed by the University of Missouri, to protect their orchards from this destructive pest. This spring, The Giving Grove created a virtual tutorial that allowed volunteers to build and set up the traps at different sites. Volunteers reported that the traps were successful, and there was less damage to trees throughout the season. Grant writer Ryan J. Davis told us that, โthe long-term positive impacts of our work installing Japanese beetle traps in our orchards cannot be understated. Ultimately, less beetles equates to a healthier year of tree and bush growth, resulting in higher fruit, berry and nut production and greater yields for community members over the lifetime of the plants.โ
