Holmen FFA members raise food, including sweet corn, for their school district’s nutrition program.
Agriculture students and FFA members at Holmen High School are growing and raising nutritious foods — and eating them too.
The Farm2School initiative was established in 2013 through a partnership between Holmen FFA and Holmen School Nutrition Services in Holmen, Wis. What started “by accident,” according to Michael Gasper, director of nutrition services for Holmen School District, has expanded into an extensive fresh food lunch program.
“An FFA member was seeking a market for the vegetables she was raising through her hydroponics project, and we agreed to buy them from her,” Gasper says. “The program has grown tremendously since then.”
Joelle Liddane, agriculture teacher and Holmen FFA advisor, says about 65 students are involved in food production for the district nutrition program.
“Any student who takes an agriculture class, including FFA members who have a related SAE, can raise products for the Farm2School program,” Liddane says. “Whatever is grown here stays here at the school to feed us.”
Avery Bailey, Holmen FFA president, raises Scottish Highland beef cattle and sells them to the Holmen School District’s nutrition program as her entrepreneurship SAE.
Avery Bailey, Holmen FFA president and senior at Holmen High School, has raised Scottish Highland beef cattle and pigs for the Farm2School program since her freshman year. Her work doubles as an entrepreneurship supervised agricultural experience (SAE). Bailey says the nutrition program has been a sure market for her animals.
“Raising my animals for Farm2School has been a very positive experience,” Bailey says. “We have a mutually beneficial partnership: I raise the animals in a way that’s most effective for me, and the district gets a fair price on high–quality meat.”
Seeing her hard work come to fruition is rewarding, Bailey says.
“I’ve been able to help serve meals featuring the beef I raised,” says Bailey. “Meals like chili, Swedish meatballs and ‘Surf and Turf’ have all included meat from my animals. It’s not easy, but it’s rewarding to see students smile when they go through the lunch line.”
Bailey says she’s also learned important business and life skills.
Swedish meatballs served for lunch were made from Avery Bailey’s beef cattle. The asparagus was raised by the school-based enterprise SAE manager.
“I’ve learned how to keep accurate records,” she says. “It’s also taught me the value of hard work.”
Bailey says the program has presented an opportunity to educate fellow students about where their food comes from. She brings animals to school for students to see up close, and she shares with them the process of raising an animal for food.
Liddane says connecting farms to food has become even more important as the community of Holmen continues to grow.
“Our community has grown very quickly in recent years,” Liddane says. “Farm2School is one way to provide the connection to the farm most students wouldn’t have otherwise.”
If FFA chapters want to do something similar to Farm2School, Bailey suggests starting small, such as growing lettuce in your greenhouse or raising a few chickens. “Once you start, then you can look for grants to apply for to expand into something bigger.”
