Student Farmers elevate Student Farming in North Carolina

GREENandSAVE Staff

Posted on Tuesday 2nd August 2022
Student Farming

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 North Carolina, as well as farm mentors in North Carolina 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 North Carolina:

N.C. A&T's farm helping feed the community, teach students

N.C. A&T’s University Farm is nearly 500 acres dedicated to raising crops, livestock and teaching students with hands-on experience. The university broke ground on the student and community garden back in 2019. The community garden has 10 raised beds for community members to rent and grow their own fruits, vegetables and other crops. 

“It’ll be less that I have to buy from the grocery store, and I’ll have the opportunity to share with my family,” community member, Denise Jones said. 

Students plant their own crops to study and observe. Baker Zitawi, a master's program student, believes having this hands-on approach brings awareness to farming practices. 

“The farmwork we’re doing right now is important because it provides students with a firsthand experience. An opportunity to come out and do the work that you would expect to do,” Zitawi said. 

The student garden often donates what it grows to different efforts across Greensboro to help combat food insecurity. Teaching community members how to grow their own food also fights against food insecurity.

This is especially important since East Greensboro, where the farm is located, has historically dealt with food insecurity. 

 

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