Thanks to everyone who voted in our green grants contest.

You helped us recognize and reward projects all across the country that are working toward a greener America -- projects that understand what we mean when we say green: the linkage of social justice goals with environmental sustainability.

We're so pleased to announce the winner of this year's top green-grants prize: Urban Roots in Austin, TX.

Urban Roots is a youth development program that uses sustainable agriculture as means to build entrepreneurial, leadership, and life skills amongst its participants, while producing good, local, organic food to nourish Austin residents who currently have limited access to healthy foods through hunger-relief programs.

"Ever since Urban Roots’ inception in 2008, we have relied upon the generosity of thousands of enthusiastic and dedicated volunteer who help us cultivate young leaders and get their hands dirty, planting and harvest on our 3.5 acre farm," says Max Elliott, Urban Roots' program coordinator.  "Urban Roots will use this green grant to purchase seeds and to pay for youth Farmers Market Intern stipends."

Urban Roots earns $2,500 as the top prize-winner, and three other finalists earn a $1,000 prize as runners-up. This year's $1,000 winners include:

1. Cully Community Market -- An organic, local farmers' market serving a community in Portland that has been labeled a "food desert," the Cully Community Market also disburses micro-loans for local residents (including many immigrant Latina women) to establish vendor stalls in the market.

2. Fair Trade Los Angeles -- This LA-based non-profit organization works to make Fair Trade products more available in the southern California area, to raise awareness of Fair Trade, and to make Los Angeles into one of the largest Fair Trade Towns in the US.

3. Hiram Farm Living and Learning Community -- This organic farm in northern Ohio provides meaningful work for adults with autism. Organizers intend to use their green grant to purchase solar-powered vents for the farm's new barn.

We congratulate all of our winners in this year's green grants contest, and point you toward this page to see the list of the hundreds of great green projects that were nominated.

We hope you feel inspired by all the great, green projects underway around the country, perhaps even motivated to join with or start up a new project in your own local community.

Keep up to date with future contests (like our upcoming 2010 People's Choice Award for Green Business of the year) by signing up for Green America's e-newsletter.

Urban Roots youth working in the garden.