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School to Farm program details expansion, grants and new middle-school electives
Summary
School to Farm executive director Sorel Redford and education director Gwen Hootchens reported teaching 510 students and 50.25 hours of instruction last spring, secured a $10,000 Lure Foundation grant for Mesa Elementary garden renovations, and outlined new middle-school electives and partnerships.
Sorel Redford, executive director of the School to Farm project, and education director Gwen Hootchens updated the Montezuma-Cortez School District No. Re-1 board on Aug. 4 about program activities, funding and plans to expand hands-on garden education.
"My name is Sorel Redford. I am the executive director of the School to Farm project," Redford told board members. Gwen Hootchens, the program's education director, described recent instruction at district schools: "We taught all 510 students and dedicated 50.25 total hours of instruction time," Hootchens said, summarizing spring-semester reach.
Redford and Hootchens outlined site-specific work: regular summer maintenance and harvests at Kemper Elementary; a renovation at Mesa Elementary supported by a $10,000 grant from the Lure Foundation to pay for raised beds, soil and related materials; and an expanded production area at Cortez Middle School where the program runs weekly work sessions and will pilot two six-week electives starting in August. Program partners named in the presentation included the Dolores River Boating Advocates, the San Juan Mountain Association and the Montezuma Land Conservancy. Staff also said the organization has sought additional support from the Walton Foundation and explored funding from the Colorado Garden Foundation.
Presenters discussed challenges and opportunities: a recent hailstorm damaged some crops, volunteers and AmeriCorps members help sustain operations, and staff are evaluating greenhouse options — including a possible partnership with PCC's Growdome — though a district-backed permanent greenhouse would require significant construction and funding. They said the program also incorporates market-based learning: middle-school students will pilot a farm-stand elective where they harvest, market and sell crops and decide how to reinvest proceeds in the program.
Board members asked about lesson activities, tastings and plans for winter instruction; presenters said they will resume formal lessons in September and expect volunteer and partner support to continue. The presentation was informational; no board vote was taken.
