Farm to School Program
Our Farm to School program is an effort to introduce youth from an early age to where their food comes from and is part of a state-wide effort to incorporate hands-on, agricultural based lessons and increased access to fresh, local foods into our schools.
Learn about plant parts, plant life cycles, soil exploration, origins of food and food systems.
Program details
Why were running this program
Alan Day Community Garden is part of the Maine Farm and Sea to School Network, in partnership with Robert's Farm. Farm to School incorporates agricultural based education, hands-on learning through school gardens, and increased access to fresh, local foods. Farm to school strategies are shown to improve fruit and vegetable consumption, increase knowledge about food origins, improve academic achievement, and support the local economy.
What you'll learn
Students from the Guy E Rowe elementary school walk over to the garden accompanied by their teacher and parent chaperones. Annie and Cyndy then lead an hour-long lesson related to various environmental and agricultural lessons such as plant parts, plant life cycles, soil exploration, origins of food and food systems, and the importance of pollinators. These lessons are tailored to the 2nd and 3rd grade curriculum standards and always include hands-on and interactive activities for the students. With the addition of the kitchen space at ADCG, lessons also may include a cooking and nutrition component where students are able to use their freshly harvested ingredients in cooking demonstrations and taste tests.
Want to get involved?
This is a program ADCG coordinates directly with the Guy E Rowe Elementary School, however, if someone is interested in bringing a group of students (typically 10-20 students accompanied by one adult for every 5 children) they can contact our programs manager Annie Kern at programs@alandaycommunitygarden.org to inquire about a one time or recurring visit.
