Search
Tyne Bankester and Jacey Wesley
Establishing a farm to school program in this day and age seems like a daunting task at first glance. There are so many things to consider: How can I get administrative buy-in for my idea? Where will we put a garden? What will we grow? Who should we include to best support our program? How can I tie what’s happening in the garden into my curriculum? Not knowing the answers can be a barrier for educators who want to integrate a farm to school initiative into their school programs. The uncertainties can stop them from even starting. Recognizing these challenges, the Seeds to Success team launched the Seeding LA project in 2019 as a promotional campaign funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm to School grant. Seeding LA has become a key component to answering those initial questions and supporting educators’ farm to school programming.
Seeding LA is an extensive digital collection filled with fun, educational materials related to agriculture and nutrition. These resources are designed to be used by educators, parents and students, from the school garden to the home kitchen. Seeding LA consists of three branches:
Striving to provide a variety of resources that can be enjoyed by the youngest and oldest of students, Seeding LA offers lesson ideas for pre-K to 12th grade. The lessons are grouped by grade level, focused on a specific type of Louisiana produce and aligned to Louisiana state curriculum standards. Other resources include book suggestions and video links to educate students not only on the crops themselves, but also the agricultural industry that makes their growth possible. Additionally, teachers can join a very active Seeds to Success Facebook group that allows them to share their successes and ask for advice when things might not be going how they expected. Through the Seeds to Success website and Facebook group, the teachers’ toolbox for implementing Farm to School programming is expansive and dynamic.
In addition to providing extensive digital support, Seeding LA has also funded several mailed resources to teachers. Since August 2021, Seeding LA has facilitated the distribution of more than 1,000 windowsill greenhouse kits, nearly 600 ready-to-grow container gardens and more than 5,000 seed packets to schools throughout the state. Windowsill greenhouse kits and seeds were also distributed in December 2022 to LSU AgCenter and Southern University Ag Center agents for use in extension outreach activities. In total, it is estimated that 55,908 students have been directly impacted by Seeding LA and that number continues to grow every day. While this extensive outreach is worth celebrating on its own, it is worth noting some of the specific impacts teachers across the state reported after their involvement with Seeding LA. Surveys show that 92% of teachers reported an increase in students’ awareness of seasonality and local foods, and 88% reported an increase in students’ interest in healthy eating. The feedback collected from teachers across the state strongly demonstrates the positive impact Seeding LA and Farm to School programming is having with youth.
While this quantitative data demonstrates the impact this program is having on schools, the anecdotal feedback received from teachers helps to paint an even clearer picture of the effects Seeding LA is having within school districts. Anna Barras, a nutrition educator from Vermillion Parish, perfectly summarized the sentiment many teachers shared about Seeding LA through their survey responses, writing “Kids are excited to learn about what they are eating and where it comes from, to try new and different things, and to learn about what grows right here in their own home state. The activities are fantastic, and the recipes are good. They love the videos and learn something new from them!”
When asked how Seeding LA has supported their farm to school initiatives, Kacie Smith, garden sponsor and school nurse of Winnfield Primary School, reported “Seeds to Know has really bridged the gap in connecting our school garden to the classroom curriculum.” Smith shares the Seeds to Success website with the school staff each year and encourages teachers to use Seeds to Know to integrate the school garden into their curriculum. This year the school’s Garden Club was able to establish a school garden, and the third and fourth grade members are using the Seeds to Sow information to plan for spring plantings.
Just as gardens are amended from season to season, the Seeds to Success team is constantly curating new materials and updating the Seeding LA programming to ensure educators have access to the “freshest” resources possible, whether it is seeds, lessons plans or growing guides. The Seeds to Success team is excited to continue furthering the farm to school movement throughout Louisiana, using Seeding LA as a major support for the state’s educators.
Tyne Bankester is the program manager for curriculum integration and MarketMaker for Seeds to Success: The Louisiana Farm to School Program, and Jacey Wesley is the communications director for the program.
(This article appears in the spring 2023 edition of Louisiana Agriculture.)
Nurse Kacie Smith and students at Winnfield Primary School prepared for the spring growing season by setting up their container growing kit during the 2021-22 school year. Photo courtesy of Winnfield Primary School
Students at Ferriday Lower Elementary check on their container gardens to monitor plant growth progress and to make sure their crop is pest-free. Photo courtesy of Ferriday Lower Elementary
Mia Whisonant, left, and Raelynn Walker, students from Winnfield Primary School, pick strawberries in their school garden. Photo by Kyle Peveto
