Farm to School Aid

Supporting Hands-in-the-Dirt Garden Education in Madison Schools

Event Details

Location:

Troy Farm and Gardens, 502 Troy Drive, Madison WI 53704

Time:

Saturday, September 12, 2:00-7:30

Line Up:

Currach Irish Trio
Mane
Kitty Butler
Dan Walkner Band

What else?

Food Trucks: Banzo, Just Veggiez, The Chocolate Shoppe

Beer: Delta Beer Lab and Working Draft Beer

Kid’s activities–including pre-show kid’s karaoke!

Come join in the fun and support school gardens!

SAVE TO YOUR CALENDAR

What is Farm to School?

Farm to School programming is all about connecting schools with local food, farming, and gardening. Students receive educational opportunities to learn about healthy food and agriculture, and hands-on opportunities to garden and cook. Farm to School has three main focus areas: procuring local food, growing school gardens, and garden-based education. Together, these bring food and farming topics into the classroom and take students outside into gardens and farms.

Rooted in School Gardens

Rooted is the only organization providing school garden education at Madison Metropolitan School District schools, so we can meet kids where they are–at school! Through our Gardener-in-Residence program, we introduce students to healthy, locally grown food and provide them with hands-on learning about where their food comes from. Our School Garden Educators are working in eight Madison schools, supporting school gardens, leading cooking clubs, and teaching Farm to School classes.

Farm to School Aid: Closing a Funding Shortfall

With federal grant money no longer providing a reliable source of funding, and Farm to School programing just as important as ever, we introduced the Farm to School Aid fundraiser to help support our school gardens. The money raised helps close the gap between what it costs for Rooted to run our Gardener-in-Residence program, and what each school can pay.

We know that too often, schools must choose between experiential learning and other budgetary priorities. Rooted’s goal is to provide school garden education to local schools, especially those in underserved communities. We offer our Gardener-in-Residence program at the lowest possible rate for schools, and subsidize the cost further for schools with the greatest economic need.

You can help Rooted keep school garden education accessible to Madison public schools, regardless of their ability to pay. All students should have the opportunity to put their hands in the dirt and grow something, and discover the joy of cooking and eating fresh veggies from their own garden. Help us keep school gardens growing!

Want to help fund local School Gardens?

"When I am outside it feels beautiful!" -MMSD 3rd grader

“I have never gardened before, I did not know, but I really like to garden. This is great! I am going to tell my mother about gardening. I’m not only going to tell my mother, I am going to tell my whole family! We can garden together!” -MMSD 4th grader

“I have scholars in my class who focus out here [in the school garden' who never focus inside." -MMSD 2nd grade teacher

I like trying new vegetables outside like tomatoes and kale. I eat vegetables in the school garden I would never eat at home! -MMSD 4th grader

I dug a hole and put a daffodil bulb in it! -MMSD 3rd grader

I like picking vegetables and eating them! -MMSD 2nd grader

School Garden Programming

Field Trips to Madison School Farm and Troy Kid’s Garden

Rooted hosts classes from all over Southern Wisconsin for kids to explore a working Urban Farm. Students participate in farm chores and get to prepare something fresh at the outdoor kitchen. The food grown supplies local food banks.

Rooted Maintains School Gardens at 14 Local Schools

Through our Gardener in Residence program, team members who are either Americorps staff, Rooted staff or Volunteers, Rooted maintains 14 schools gardens, each producing produce to be used in teaching, cooking and distributed as donations to local food pantries.

Wisconsin School Garden Day

Rooted has worked as a trusted partner with the State of Wisconsin in helping establish and spread awareness about Wisconsin School Garden Day. See recent year’s events here. Mark your calendar for the next School Garden Day occurring on May 15th every year.

Education Programming

Learning about Food and Nutrition

Rooted educators teach about food that grows in the school gardens, and how those foods related to overall nutrition, including lessons on “MyPlate” as recommended by MyPlate.gov.

Learning about Plants and Gardening

Students learn science lessons in regard to soil, decomposition and how insects interact with gardens and farms. Students learn how to start seeds indoors, prepare garden beds, plant, weed, mulch and harvest vegetables. They then learn to put the gardens to sleep over the winter months, in preparation for the cycle to begin again.

Cooking Classes

Students learn to cook with fresh vegetables, in season, often with vegetables grown by them. Cooking classes include a variety of traditions and heritages, helping students connect food and culture.