Photo by William Campbell
Farm to School of Park County
“This is the most excited I’ve ever been to eat a carrot.” —sixth grade student
As I sit at an open window in my office, perfectly positioned on the building’s second floor above downtown Livingston’s Lincoln School Farm, I can hear a delightful cacophony of sounds. Groups of day campers, visiting the farm on a twice-weekly walk from their summer school program, scamper about the space excitedly chatting about all the living things around them.
“This one’s a monster!” cries one child as he tries to find the biggest zucchini in the ¼-acre space. “Ooooo a worm!!!” exclaims another. “Can I take it home with me?!”
What I hear in these delightful sounds is the heartbeat of Farm to School of Park County, the organization that I have had the pleasure of working with for the last three years. These kids and their summertime excitement at the farm represent the culmination of a long journey that puts Park County children right where they belong: in the middle of our local food cycle. During the school year, nearly 1,000 Park County kids rely on free school meals to fill their tummies and fuel their learning. It is a crucial part of our organization’s work to make sure that children can rely on a delicious, nutritious meal at school filled with healthy, local foods that they have learned to recognize and enjoy.
These elementary students begin their journey in public school classrooms. Throughout the school year, Farm to School staff regularly visit classrooms in Livingston and surrounding Park County. Known affectionately as “Farmers,” our educators seamlessly integrate lessons on healthful eating, agricultural practices, and culinary skills into the everyday academic curriculum. Through engaging lessons and interactive activities, students learn about the impact of personal food choices on their health and the environment around them
“I love gardening because it helps me concentrate!” —third grade student
“I love gardening because I love eating everything I grow.” —fourth grade student
Armed with knowledge of farmers and the enthusiasm of youth, students then venture outdoors to put theory into practice at a wide array of learning farms and gardens throughout Park County. These kids roll up their sleeves and dig into the soil to cultivate a deeper connection with the foods they eat. They learn essential gardening skills and see a year’s worth of work pay off as they harvest and taste the vegetables they have tended.
Every single carrot, lettuce leaf, and garlic bulb—over 3,000 pounds of produce last year alone—goes straight back onto the lunch trays of Park County children, hungry to taste the fruits, and vegetables, of their labor. No produce is wasted; any trimmings and leftovers are composted and returned to the gardens in the spring.
This sustainable system, where children connect with their food from soil to plate and back again, brings the wisdom of the ages to our fast-paced world where children often zoom from one snack to the next. By fostering a deep understanding of food systems and inspiring a love for fresh, local foods, Farm to School of Park County is laying the foundation for a lifetime of wellness in every student that we teach, grow, or eat with.
- To learn more about Farm to School of Park County, visit f2spc.org.
