The Country Day Farm-to-Fork Garden is a thriving year-round outdoor classroom for discovery, curiosity, new skills, scientific observation, mental wellness, good health, teamwork, and service. All grades, faculty, and staff interact in the garden space with adult leadership from our Garden Supervisor and the Farm-to-Fork teacher.  We grow native plants, cutting flowers, and food crops. Our food bounty is shared with students, faculty and staff, and families at River City Food Bank, five miles away.

Highlights of the farm garden experience are featured below.

LOWER SCHOOL:

• frequent classroom visits
• help with farm chores, including soil prep, planting, watering, and harvest
• help harvest and pack for the food bank 
• seasonal tastes and snacks with foods both new and familiar
• pollinator and insect observations
• sensory exposure and discovery
• worm bin maintenance and play
• quiet nature walks and observations
• poetry and reading activities
• free time to explore as a child

MIDDLE SCHOOL:

• Farm to Fork elective offered quarterly, year-round.
• expanded knowledge of seasonal planting and organic growing for our region
• specialized skills, such as pruning, irrigation, direct sowing, pest management, and seed starting
• tool safety, maintenance, and correct use
• seasonal recipe development
• cooking and prep skills, in teamwork
• role modeling and mentoring with younger students 
• harvesting and packing for food bank donations
• free grazing for healthy snacks at break and lunch
• use of green space as a learning environment with academic classes

HIGH SCHOOL:

• all day access to garden space for socializing, lunch, rest, and quiet study
• open invitation to pick healthy seasonal snacks at break and lunch
• partnership projects with Environmentalist Club
• available to earn service hours (on a flexible and custom-made schedule) as a high school farm hand
• outdoor setting for class and club meetings and discussions

GARDEN ZONES: 

• row crops vegetable garden
• milkweed habitat
• strawberry patch
• pumpkin patch
• Three Sisters garden
• native plant habitat
• succulent garden
• fruit trees
• composting area
• worm bin
• greenhouse
• pollinator garden