Kids in Farm-School Partnership Know Where Food Comes From

An urban farm and a nearby elementary school have formed a winning partnership. The farm has a market for its produce, and the school raises funds for its activities. They join a growing number of schools that have started school garden programs.

The Penticton, British Columbia, Urban Agriculture Association has a mission: "To create a Centre for Urban Agriculture as a source of information and education to the public and schools and to be a hub for collaborative work among people running projects related to developing a more diverse and reliable local food supply for the South Okanagan/Similkameen area."

Since they launched the project in March 2010, the ambitious organizers have made impressive progressive. They leased a vacant lot from the city, created a market garden, published recipes and a blog, and started a Farm Bag program with the produce they harvested. For a modest monthly fee, customers receive a 20 pound bag of produce and a chance to invest in agriculture that is about as local as a backyard garden.

Wanting to educate children about the food system, they formed a partnership with Uplands Elementary. With the Farm Bag Fundraiser, the farm earns $20 for each bag sold, and the school keeps $5. In winter months, the bags are filled with produce that stores well, such as apples, potatoes and squash. Farmers benefit. Schools earn cash, and children learn important lessons about the food they eat.

The Shaw TV video starts with a scene that gives me hope for school children who have a chance to actually understand where food comes from. A kindergartener at Uplands Elementary signs in one of the customers and says, "You just, like, sign them in. We give them their bag, and then they get to pick out vegetables. That's what they do."

This is a project that could work in any community. With food security one of the world's most pressing issues, rearing a generation that understands what growing food is all about is more important than ever.