Schoolyard Farms to launch 2nd school-based farm at Milwaukie-area high school
Oregon non-profit Schoolyard Farms plans to launch its second school-based farm this spring.
Schoolyard Farms aims to teach students how to grow nutritious food and eat healthy through farms created on school campuses. Schoolyard Farms' first school-based project is located at Candy Lane Elementary in Milwaukie and provides lessons for students and produce for community members, local restaurants and the cafeteria.
Nonprofit Schoolyard Farms runs weekly summer camps at its pilot farm at Candy Lane Elementary. Camps focus on farming basics and healthy foods
Schoolyard Farms' next farm will be at New Urban High School in Oak Grove near Milwaukie, according to a news release from the organization. The magnet school focuses on teaching through hands-on projects and serves students who may have struggled in traditional learning environments. About 130 students were enrolled in the high school this fall.
The high school's half-acre farm will provide students with weekly lessons in farming, health, business management and more. The farm will also operate as community-supported agriculture program, with shares available for purchase, and fuel the cafeteria. New Urban is within the North Clackamas School District.
Candy Lane's acre-sized farm provides roughly 3,000 pounds of produce a year and hosted weeklong camps during the summer.
Schoolyard Farms has started a fundraising campaign to cover infrastructure and start up costs, such as fencing, tools, seeds and staff, according to a news release. The goal is to raise $20,000 by March 2016. After that, the farm is intended to be self-sustaining.
"Youth involved in a school farm or garden are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables and develop healthy eating habits," Courtney Leeds, executive director and co-founder of Schoolyard Farms, said in a statement. "By giving students access to the fruits and vegetables that they nurtured and watched grow, we are increasing their chances of good health into their adulthood."
There are more than 600 school gardens across the state, according to an Oregon Department of Education count this summer.
-- Laura Frazier
Schoolyard Farms to launch 2nd school-based farm at Milwaukie-area high school | OregonLive.com:
