In addition to providing great tasting, healthy food for your school’s lunches, a container farm functions as a great tool for enriching after-school programs, clubs and classes.
The possibilities for enrichment are endless!
In this article, you’ll learn how a container farm is an excellent addition to after-school programs.
Container farms allow schools to offer hands-on learning experiences after school.
These experiences can teach students about a huge variety of subjects.
Life sciences, business, marketing, sustainability, engineering and more can all be taught through a container farm.
As a result, students can build important skills for their future careers, or simply explore different fields until they find one that fits.
Working with plants has many benefits for children and teenagers.
For one, it encourages them to respect nature and the environment.
Container farms use 90% less water and no pesticides or chemical fertilizers compared to traditional agriculture.
Showing students how farming can be sustainable helps them reflect on their own environmental practices.
Plus, interacting with and watching the growing process teaches children about the natural world.
As they put more effort and time into growing the plants, they’ll care more about the results.
All the while, they’ll learn to love and respect nature.
Additionally, the produce from the container farm can feed the students too.
And if they’ve had a part in growing it, they’ll be more likely to enjoy it!
This encourages them to eat healthier, which protects them from having health issues as adults.
Container farms also allow kitchens to serve the freshest food possible!
Fruits and vegetables start losing nutrients the moment they’re picked.
So serving produce fresh off the farm, means your students will get the highest possible concentration of vitamins and minerals.
Plus, research suggests children who garden do better in science than those who do not.
In addition to physical health, container farms have a positive impact on students’ mental health.
For example, many studies show that being around plants has stress relief effects and interacting with nature reduces anxiety and lessens signs of ADHD in children.
The container farm also functions as a source of inspiration for students, teaching them the importance of alternative agriculture and sustainability.
As a result, students may be inspired to become farmers, conservationists, agronomists or business owners.
More and more schools have added container farms to campus for enriching after-school programs, meals and classes.
For example, Mountain Vista High School in Colorado, uses its container farm for an agricultural business course.
The class combines business principles with hands-on farm experience.
As a result, students handle the farm’s marketing, social media, website, communications, accounting, customer service, food safety, business plan and more.
They also have to operate the farm successfully, in order to keep the plants healthy and alive for sale.
IDEA charter schools in Texas have also added a container farm for an after-school program.
The program teaches students about cultivation, helping them become container farming experts.
The produce from the program is used in the school cafeterias to make sure students have access to fresh and healthy food.
Now you know how a container farm can enrich your after-school programs.
To learn more about the how children benefit from gardening, check out our guide “Gardening with Children: How To Teach Your Kids Gardening.”
Visit our website or call 602-753-3469 to learn how you can bring a container farm to your campus.
