The Farm to School and Early Childhood Education Program connects schools, local growers, and the community to food and farm education experiences paired with healthy, locally grown food. The program provides resources, funding, and technical assistance to schools, farmers, and partners in the local food system. The Farm to School and Early Childhood Education Program is the facilitator of the Arkansas Farm to School Collaborative, a statewide farm to school effort between state agencies, non-profits, schools, and farms.
Farm to school enriches the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food and local food producers by initiating changes in food purchasing and education practices at schools and early childhood education facilities. Students gain access to healthy, local foods as well as educational opportunities, such as school gardens, cooking lessons, and farm field trips. Farm to school empowers children and their families to make informed food choices while strengthening the local economy and contributing to vibrant communities. Farm to school implementation differs by location, but always includes one or more of the following:
● School Gardens: Students engage in hands-on learning through gardening and farming.
● Education: Students participate in education activities related to agriculture, food, health, or nutrition.
● Procurement: Local foods are purchased, promoted, and served in the cafeteria or as a snack or taste test.
Arkansas Grown School Garden of the Year Contest
Congratulations to the 2025 Arkansas Grown School Garden of the Year winners
Click here to read the press release.
- Atkins Middle School (Atkins) – Best Overall School Garden ($1,000 award)
- Batesville Preschool (Batesville) – Best Education-Based School Garden ($1,000 award)
- Ward Central Elementary School (Cabot) – Champion of School Garden Sustainability ($1,000 award)
- Carolyn Lewis Elementary School (Conway) – Best Harvest Partnership School Garden ($500 award)
- Little Rock Christian Academy (Little Rock) – Best Harvest Partnership School Garden ($500 award)
- Nemo Vista High School (Center Ridge) – Best Community Collaboration School Garden ($500 award)
- Yellville Summit Public School District (Yellville) – Best Community Collaboration School Garden ($500 award)
- Southside Charter High School (Batesville) – Best Start-Up School Garden Proposal ($500 award)
The Arkansas Grown School Garden of the Year Contest was initiated by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and Farm Credit in 2014. The program provides the opportunity to promote the importance of involving young people in the process of fresh food production and cultivation. Farm Credit generously provides the funding for program award recipients.
There are six categories of winners in the Arkansas Grown School Garden of the Year Contest:
- Champion of School Garden Sustainability ($1000 award): This category recognizes schools that previously won a contest category and that have woven the school garden program into the foundation of the school culture. The school details how it has continued to provide quality education, harvest, and community connections using the school garden. Previous winners from 2014 – 2023, except Start-Up, are only eligible for this category.
- Best Overall School Garden ($1000 award): This category recognizes schools that provided excellent education, harvest, and community connections using their school garden during the previous school year.
- Best Education Based School Garden ($500 award): This category recognizes schools that provided exemplary hands-on education using the school garden during the previous school year. This can be seen by integrating garden instruction into classroom curriculum, frequent hands-on opportunities for students to learn about nutrition, gardening, cooking, and/or agriculture, and through other educational opportunities such as a school garden club, field trips, farmer visits, etc.
- Best Harvest Partnership School Garden ($500 award): This category recognizes schools that use both school garden produce and locally grown produce from Arkansas farms in their meals during the previous school year. The locally grown food is incorporated in the regular menu, featured monthly through a program like Harvest of the Month/Season, and tasted in a taste test to gather student input on potentially new menu items or unique Arkansas Grown products.
- Best Community Collaboration School Garden ($500 award): This category recognizes schools that had a variety of community collaborations during the previous school year. Stakeholders from nearby farms, businesses, non-profits, and/or organizations participated in a school garden committee, provided donations/grants, led classroom and cafeteria presentations, and more.
- Best Start-up School Garden Proposal ($500 award): This category recognizes schools that will be breaking ground on their garden in the upcoming school year. Schools must have achievable goals, clear maintenance plans, and activities listed to provide education, harvest, and community connections using the school garden.
For more information and resources, please visit arfarmtoschool.org.
Program Contact: Leslee Tell
Email: [email protected]