Whole Kids Foundation Educational Farm

The Whole Kids Foundation Educational Farm's mission is to provide experiential learning about food through an outdoor learning environment that supports the local community, including schools and neighborhood residents. The Farm's vision is to provide a space for learning about, growing, cooking and eating fresh, healthy, organic food, for children, students and community members, while offering a beautiful natural space for exploration. The Farm is open year-round to the public four days per week, Tuesday-Saturday. Special events may be scheduled Saturday-Monday. A monthly schedule of events, classes and workshops will be published on the Farm�s Facebook Page. The Farm partners with numerous local schools, child care and youth centers to offer free outdoor educational opportunities for students throughout the week, your-round. This may include information on soil, seeds, planting, water reclamation, composting, pollinators, and healthy cooking. The Farm provides a hands on learning environment that combines well with STEM for many grades. Classes are available for learners of all ages as well as tours of the Farm. If you are interested in learning more about field trips to the Farm, please contact us. The Farm is in the process of becoming USDA certified Organic, and the principles of organic farming are used to promote care of the soil and plant management in accordance with natural systems. We primarily rely on on-farm composting, crop rotation, cover crops, and low-till systems for soil health. Our pest-management plan is focused on companion planting, crop rotation, and creating habitat for beneficial insects. We remove our weeds by hand. Any external inputs necessary are carefully considered for the most natural option and always comply with Organic standards. Waste reduction through composting, rainwater collection, and other stewardship practices provide examples of green living for the students, volunteer gardeners and surrounding neighborhood. The Farm's land was previously a parking lot. The asphalt, and approximately 12 inches of gravel and soil beneath the asphalt was removed and the soil was tested for toxicity. Approximately 2,600 cubic yards of fresh, locally produced organic compost, created with organic matter from our Whole Foods Market stores and processed at by our compost partner, Wilbros Inc., was back-filled into the Farm.