FORT COLLINS - The Gardens on Spring Creek has been awarded a $120,000 grant.

The two-year grant comes from the Colorado Health Foundation and will be used to teach low-income families how to grow fruits and vegetables, the nutritional benefits of fresh produce and how to cook and preserve the harvest.

The funding will also allow The Gardens to continue providing technical support to individuals and organizations wanting to build gardens to serve low-income populations.

The Colorado Health Foundation's mission is to make the state the healthiest state in the nation by investing in grants and initiatives to health-related nonprofits.

The Gardens on Spring Creek were opened in 2004 as part of public-private partnership between the city of Fort Collins and the Friends of the Gardens on Spring Creek. The Gardens supports school and community garden outreach programs in low-income areas, in addition to other efforts.