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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 New Mexico, as well as farm mentors in New Mexico 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 New Mexico:
Students to Celebrate Farm to School Programs for New Mexico Grown Week
Students to Celebrate Farm to School Programs for New Mexico Grown Week
New Mexico Department of Health and Public Education Department Collaborate to Improve Nutrition in Schools
From September 30th to October 4th, as part of “New Mexico-Grown Week”, students across the state will participate in special events and activities that highlight a variety of fruits and vegetables cultivated from local farms, hoop houses and school gardens. Participating schools may prepare special meals featuring local produce, invite farmers into the classroom to discuss the importance of local agriculture, or have students plant their own school gardens.
“New Mexico-Grown Week” is an opportunity to recognize school districts across the state that purchase produce from local farmers to enhance student nutrition. The New Mexico Public Education Department (NM PED) distributed a total of $450,000 to 58 school districts this year to help schools purchase locally-grown food for their cafeterias and allowing 9 districts to create farm-to-school partnerships for the first time. Please see the full List of Districts that received funds from the New Mexico-Grown Local Produce Grant.
“We’re helping build a system where farmers are connected to local institutions,” said Kendal Chavez, NM PED Farm-to-School Coordinator. “This aids farmers in keeping their production local, while at the same time improving New Mexico’s food economy and enhancing nutrition in school.”
