Lee County’s Farm to School Program nurtures education and nutrition
Planting a seed and watching it grow is a simple yet profound act. It requires care, patience and a fertile environment. In many regards, education follows the same principle, with teachers planting seeds of curiosity and possibility in students’ minds.
For the School District of Lee County, that translates into helping students’ knowledge blossom in elementary, middle and high school by introducing them to the tangible lessons found in school gardens. It’s an initiative that transforms school grounds into vibrant learning spaces where fresh food and fresh ideas flourish side by side.
With guidance from the district’s Healthy Living Collaboration, students aren’t just reading about plant biology and food systems – they’re rolling up their sleeves, grabbing gardening tools and growing some of their own food. The program provides a tangible connection between the classroom and the cafeteria, reinforcing lessons in science, math, engineering and environmental stewardship.
What started as a grassroots initiative to promote healthy eating and sustainability has grown into a powerful educational program known as the Farm to School program. The program aims to enhance student learning by providing hands-on agricultural experiences that integrate nutrition, science, math and sustainability.
The gardens provide students with immersive experiences growing their own food—as well as produce for their school cafeterias—while also building essential skills in teamwork, personal responsibility, problem-solving and a deeper understanding of a range of academic subjects.
Leisha Roy, Healthy Living Collaboration chair, has witnessed firsthand the power of hands-on learning. “It’s incredible to see the kids’ excitement when they plant a seed and watch it sprout. The bigger the plant grows, the bigger their enthusiasm gets. They are so proud of what they’ve accomplished.”
The program has evolved over decades but gained momentum after the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated food insecurity concerns. A formal F2S Coalition team took shape to solidify coordinated collaboration between the district’s Comprehensive Health Education, Environmental Education, Career and Technical Education, and Food and Nutrition Services.
Over the past few years, enthusiasm for the program has spread like wildflowers in the spring. Today, there are approximately 80 school gardens throughout Lee County’s middle and high schools. These range from small pollinator habitats to full-scale hydroponic and aquaponic systems like those at Island Coast High School.
Collectively, for the school year 2023-2024, the school gardens produced nearly 11,000 pounds of produce and saved roughly $25,000 for school kitchens
Lessons rooted in reality
At Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School, student excitement is bubbling. The school recently became an F2S school, and nearly 140 students are already involved. Principal Karen Prentice sees the program as a way to make learning more engaging for students who learn best through hands-on experiences rather than textbooks.
She said, “We are always looking for ways to make learning real,” as opposed to purely conceptual. “We want to incorporate students’ abilities to apply what they learn. And not just in technical or agricultural education, but also in subjects like math and science.”
She points to the emphasis on life sciences and biology in eighth-grade coursework as a prime example of the program’s benefits in action. “All the experiences our kids have with the garden provide the perfect nexus of academics and real-world applications.”
Such an impact wouldn’t have been possible without the support of community partners B&I Contractors and Owens Ames Kimball, which provided critical project guidance and garden infrastructure. “We have raised beds, hydroponic towers and an irrigation system that we wouldn’t have had the funding to do without such support,” Prentice said.
The involvement of community partners underscores the program’s focus on collaboration, uniting schools, families, organizations, businesses and local government. Such partnerships enhance program capacity, equitable resource access and knowledge sharing.
Dunbar Middle School agriculture teacher Kelsey Silsby said there’s nothing quite like seeing students watch their work take root and flourish, an experience that
leaves a lasting impression.
“Some students who might struggle with traditional classroom learning are thriving in this more hands-on environment,” she said. “They’re enthusiastic because the results
are very real to them. They can see it and touch it.”
One such student is Anderson Gordon, an eighth grader at Dunbar Middle. Anderson said the program has increased his understanding of science and math, sparked his curiosity and even inspired him to consider a future in agriculture or landscaping.
“The garden helped me understand science and math better,” he said. “We used a measuring tape to figure out cubic feet, and it was fun learning how to measure and calculate. It showed me how important science and math really are.”
Gordon’s “ah-ha!” moment exemplifies how experiential learning brings lessons to life, a transformation that is also evident at Harns Marsh Middle School. Principal Alex Dworzanski and science teacher Barbara Rebeor, who also serves as the garden team lead, have seen firsthand how applied learning translates into classroom success. Dworzanski said, “Some students come from backgrounds that don’t necessarily lend themselves to understanding scientific concepts like plant growth cycles or the impact of nutrients. Now, they see it happening in real-time, and it’s making a big difference in their learning.”
That difference is tangible, as science scores at Harns Marsh have risen significantly since the program’s implementation. “Science is about understanding interconnected systems,” Rebeor pointed out. “When students grow a plant, manipulate variables and observe outcomes until they achieve their desired result, they realize science is about real-world problem-solving. In addition to science, we’re seeing improvements in math, as students calculate planting grids, measure growth and work with fractions in recipes using produce from the garden.”
Last year, the middle school’s garden yielded more than 70 pounds of produce for the school cafeteria. And that harvest is showing up on increasing numbers of lunch trays, which is crucial to another goal Dworzanski mentions: combating student obesity rates by encouraging more nutritious food choices. “Instead of always reaching for pizza or chicken nuggets,” Dworzanski said, “they’re
choosing salads with a protein because they grew the ingredients themselves. It’s empowering
for them.”
And that excitement isn’t just limited to school – it’s fanning out into the broader community as well. Rebeor said, “Students are eating food they grow themselves, and some are convincing their parents to grow fresh food at home.”
