Grow La Crosse showcases school gardens and farm programs serving 1,800 students

Kri Bagle Bry, executive director of Grow La Crosse, told the La Crosse School District board that the nonprofit’s garden and farm education work now reaches roughly 1,800 students and partners with seven of the district’s 10 elementary schools.

“We now do the work of that mission in school Gardens, Farm experiences at Deep Roots Community Farm as well as a greenhouse space,” Bagle Bry said during the school showcase. She described a long-running partnership with the district dating to 2012 and said the organization provides curriculum-connected lessons and in-class supports that embed Garden educators in school communities.

Bagle Bry walked board members through site examples, including a greenhouse pilot that served about 1,100 students in a recent winter program and field trips that brought 215 students to Deep Roots Community Farm during spring 2024. She also noted summer programming: 92 students attended a free farm camp and staff and volunteers harvested an estimated 450 pounds of produce that was distributed through district summer meal programs.

Board members asked about logistics, site ownership and funding. Bagle Bry said Grow La Crosse worked with shelter-development partners and grants to secure some lots adjacent to Hamilton and that certain garden sites operate under rent agreements with the district. She emphasized that Grow’s programming is largely funded by grants, donors and school parent organizations and requested continued district collaboration to make programs sustainable and equitable across all elementary schools.

The presentation closed with a brief Q&A on classroom sign-ups, connections to other community gardens and how produce is routed to summer meal programs. The board thanked the presenter and moved on to the evening’s referendum and budget items.