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Our GREENandSAVE Staff is pleased to inform our members and readers about organizations that are helping to promote sustainability. If you would like us to profile your organization please Contact Us.
Student Farmers is actively looking to recruit a student ambassador in Idaho, as well as farm mentors in Idaho that can help guide students. Overall, student farming is a great way to reduce the distance from farm to table and increase health for students as well as their parents.
Here is an overview on Student Farmers
Student Farmers is a growing group of students who are committed to in-home and in-school sustainable farming as a means to promote physical fitness and environmental stewardship.
Our Mission: To improve health and nutrition education, combat the challenges of climate change, and support each other in generating some revenue to help pay for college.
Our Vision: To increase knowledge about the advantages of eating more heathy and locally grown vegetables across the range of high school and college age students. We also hope that many of the parents of the students will learn from their children’s engagement in our organization and adopt a diet with less processed foods to reduce the growing cost of healthcare.
Here is an example of an agriculture education program in Idaho:
Students Experience Idaho Agriculture in Farm to Summer Programs
For most kids, summer means fun in the sun and a break from school but it can also mean a decreased amount of learning and one less meal for some students. ISDA’s Idaho Preferred program partnered with schools, youth centers, and picnic in the park programs around the gem state to lessen the gap and ensure everyone has a healthy meal and learns the importance of Idaho agriculture.
Farm to Summer is a youth-focused food program that works with food service staff to provide a free Idaho focused meal full of local food, a lesson about Idaho agriculture, and often a bag filled with promotional items from sponsors like Dairy West and North West Farm Credit Services. Students are also given local farm-fresh produce at each location thanks to sponsors including the Ada County Farm Bureau.
This summer season has been the best yet for the 3-year-old program. In addition to events in the Treasure Valley, locations were added in Twin Falls, Moscow, and Coeur d’Alene for a total of 10 Farm to Summer events throughout the state. Featured products this year included donut peaches from Garrett Ranches, corn from Blue Barn Produce, cherries and apricots from Symms Fruit Ranch, and peaches and carrots from Stoops Produce.