Mission
Victory Garden Crockett Foundation’s mission is to support education and training for individuals engaged in or entering the agricultural field. Focus of education and training may include horticulture, floriculture, animal, dairy and poultry science, arboriculture, agronomy, agrostology, food processing, preparation and distribution, forestry, and fishing.
Location
We primarily work with groups in the northern and eastern regions of the United States, where the climate and soil are less friendly to agriculture.
Methods
The Crockett Foundation distributes grants to support the practical teaching and training of agricultural activities as well as to assist other agricultural pursuits.
History
The Victory Garden Crockett Foundation grew out of the work of James Underwood Crockett, who left a legacy of transforming the world of agricultural education. Jim attended the Stockbridge School of Agriculture where he was a member of the academic service and social fraternity Alpha Tau Gamma (ATG). After graduating in 1934, he opened a garden center in Lexington and wrote numerous books on horticulture. In 1975, the renowned “Crockett’s Victory Garden” was broadcast nationwide on PBS.
After Jim’s death in 1979, a group of ATG alumni donated a permanent perennial shade garden at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in Wellesley and formed The Crockett Fund to honor his memory and vision.
The Crockett Fund was established to assist agricultural nonprofit organizations and broaden the awareness and value of agriculture. Since its inception, the Crockett Fund has awarded over $250,000 in grant funds and in-kind services. Now called Victory Garden Crockett Foundation and managed by ATG’s active chapter, our nonprofit carries on James Crockett’s spirit and invaluable legacy.