New vegetable farm to provide thousands of pounds of produce for Waynesboro Public Schools

WAYNESBORO, Va. (WHSV) — The Allegheny Mountain Institute (AMI) is working with Waynesboro Public Schools to provide access to not only healthy eating, but to develop student achievement, physical health and leadership skills.

A three-year $300,000 annual grant from the Virginia Department of Education funds the vegetable farm that AMI leaders hope to use to harvest 5,000 pounds of produce from later this year.

“The middle school has a garden club and there were 25 kids out here helping us shape beds, remove rocks and lay compost,” Julia Loman, the AMI farm manager’ explained. “Summer school is happening here at the middle school. We are hoping to continue working with the garden club and possibly getting some high schoolers involved here.”

The students play a role in every part of the process.

“The hope is that classes are happening here and clubs are meeting and it is kind of integrated into the curriculum,” Loman added.

Loman says the produce will be harvested and put back into the schools and the community,

“Most people are used to seeing food at a grocery store and maybe not making that connection between the soil and the earth that produces it and what they are eating. I think it gets kids to eat a more variety of vegetables,” Loman said.

To read more about the project, click here.

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