Plenty of Inspiration to Harvest From This Unique School Garden

By Carol Miller|April 18, 2024

When I began reading last year’s American Vegetable Grower^SM Grower Achievement Award nominations, I saw a school district farm in the mix. While a school district doesn’t quite meet our criteria for the award, I knew we needed to report on how the Longview Independent School District’s (ISD) 5-acre farm was transforming its food system.

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James Beasley of Longview Independent School District (ISD) in East Texas.

Photo courtesy of Longview ISD
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School's in session at Longview ISD's farm in Texas.

Photo courtesy of Longview ISD/James Beasley
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Sweet strawberries ripening nicely at Longview ISD's farm.

Photo courtesy of Longview ISD/James Beasley
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Pick your melons and pumpkins at Longview ISD's farm.

Photo courtesy of Longview ISD/James Beasley
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Successful tomato harvest at Longview ISD's farm.

Photo courtesy of Longview ISD/James Beasley
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Rows of sweet corn at Longview ISD's farm.

Photo courtesy of Longview ISD/James Beasley
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Onions on hand at Longview ISD's farm.

Photo courtesy of Longview ISD/James Beasley
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Longview ISD students reap the benefits of its school garden program.

Photo courtesy of Longview ISD/James Beasley

You’re in for a treat when you read my colleague Thomas Skernivitz’s cover story on how the school farm works.

Over the years, I’ve heard of several school programs, from growers attending lunch at the schools, where kids get to enjoy that morning’s harvest with the grower there to share and answer questions. And we all know about small school gardens, where kids learn to plant seeds, water, and watch flowers or vegetables grow.

But Longview ISD is taking the school garden concept to a new level. Not only is it providing produce for the school, but it’s showing what real farming looks like, from tractors, to pollinators, to greenhouses.

This is more than opening the eyes of students to what a home garden can do. It’s introducing them to how fruits and vegetables are grown before going to grocery stores. And those older students who can work the farm for a $15/hour wage are falling in love with agriculture.

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This concept seems like something that works just about anywhere in the U.S. The ingredients needed are a knowledgeable grower, land, and a budget. While the school district needs to provide the third item, you can pitch in on the first two.

You likely already host school field trips at your farm. Can you work out a way to carve a few acres specifically for your local schools? Hire and train high school students to work the fields. Shop students can learn about equipment maintenance, science students can learn about fertilizing and production, and finance classes can learn about the costs of growing food.

I hope you take Longview ISD’s model and make something of your own for your area. It will not only enrich education but offer a profound step to improving future labor issues. You and your local school board can find a program that benefits everyone — from saving money in the lunch program to engaging the community in grower success.

Oh, One More Thing

We couldn’t include all the wonderful images sent to us by the folks at Longview ISD in our cover story. Check out the photo gallery above for a few more to enjoy.