STAFFORD, VA (10/16/2026) – Central Rappahannock Regional Library has been awarded a $2,420 grant from the North Stafford Rotary Club to fund necessary repairs to the garden at Porter Branch. The grant will purchase materials to upgrade the garden’s perimeter fence to protect crops from wildlife and weather. North Stafford Rotary Club and community volunteers will replace the fence, with guidance from the Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners.
Established in 2013 through a partnership between the North Stafford Rotary Club and the Library, the Porter Branch SERVE Garden is operated by Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners. North Stafford Rotary Club provides funding for supplies to grow fresh vegetables, which are donated to the county’s primary food pantry, SERVE (Stafford Emergency Relief through Volunteer Efforts).
Because nutrition is essential to literacy and education, helping address local food insecurity is a natural extension of the Library’s mission to inspire lifelong learning and support the community. Between 2022 and 2025, Library gardens donated 1,701 pounds of fresh produce to SERVE and the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank. Beyond supplying fresh food to local families, these spaces support community education through gardening and sustainability classes. To further support hands-on learning, the Library also offers seed libraries at the Fredericksburg and Porter branches. Library gardens are managed by Master Gardeners Association of the Central Rappahannock Area and other organizations, as well as Library volunteers.