Run through the Delta School District, Farm Roots Mini School is a choice program for students that are looking for a different learning environment. This experience is hands on learning through farming and agricultural practices. The program is for students in grades 10 - 12 and students receive credit for 4 courses while they are in attendance - English 10-12, Science10/Environmental Science11/12, Career 10/Land and Food Systems 11/12, Entrepreneurship & Marketing 10-12. Each course has a focus on environmental and agriculture related content, and students can apply their knowledge immediately after learning it.
The first year the program ran, we started with 7 raised beds (about 125 ft of growing) while the farm was being created. In Delta there are several elementary schools that run a much smaller scale agriculture literacy program out of raised beds. For anyone interested in starting a program similar to this, raised beds make a wonderful starting point and so much can be grown in a 3 ft x 10 ft bed. Additionally, growing in beds is far easier to control pests and weeds, depending on where your bed is situated.
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