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Frequently Asked Questions

In addition to having vegetable and flower gardens, Mountain Mahogany Charter School in Albuquerque has an educational orchard, which includes free range chickens and a greenhouse.

Whether you teach at the pre-school or college level, the interest in local food and agriculture related education is on the rise. Many educators are realizing that students today often do not realize where food comes from, despite it being a key part of our existence.  Also, with the increase in childhood obesity and other food related diseases, many educators are interested in new approaches that teach nutrition and healthy eating habits, while linking to other subjects such as math and biology. 

What are different approaches to local food and agriculture education?
There are a variety of different approaches to educating students about local food and agriculture such as:

• Planting an on-site school garden
• Nutrition and cooking classes, often linked to the seasonal availability of foods
• Service learning at local farms, creating hands on learning opportunities for students 
• And curriculum on a variety of topics, such as gardening, plant life cycles, the biology of composting, and more. 

How does local food and agriculture education benefit students?
A local food and agriculture curriculum can:  

• Provide hands on learning in a fun outside setting
• Teach students about proper nutrition, helping to establish healthy eating habits and a positive relationship with food
• Introduce students to fresh foods they may not have access to at home
• Give students insight into food related career tracks, such as nutrition, cooking, farming, agricultural science, or food policy related jobs. 
• Connect students to the local agricultural landscape, people and the environment

Resources  

Local School Gardens

Albuquerque Academy  
Alvarado Elementary School (garden located at Los Poblanos Field)
Bandelier Elementary
East San Jose Elementary
Grant Middle School
Montezuma Elementary
Mountain Mahogany Charter School
Polk Middle School
Sandia Prep
South Valley Academy
SY Jackson Elementary School

Local Resources

Kids Cook
Nutrition and food education program for K-6 classrooms.

Farm to School
Farm to School programs feature local produce and dairy on school menus, and work to educate students on cooking, nutrition, and gardening.

Rio Grande Community Farm
Educational field trips, workshops, and more.

New Mexico Ag in the Classroom
Program to educate student on the source of our food and the role of agriculture in New Mexico.  They also host workshops for teachers.

National Resources

Food Timeline
A great educational resource that details the history of food and agriculture throughout human history.

Time to Eat
A campaign by Slow Food USA to provide America's children with "real food" while at school.

Garden Mosaics
Great online resources, including a science based gardening curriculum.

California School Garden Network
An extensive gardening curriculum that is available online for free.  Also check out their online guidebook for starting a school garden. 

The Edible Schoolyard
Free gardening lessons and publications.

Feeding Minds Fighting Hunger
Lesson plans for teaching students about hunger issues.

National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
They offer a variety of publications and resources, including a Resource Guide for Farm to School Programs.