Montezuma School to Farm Project
The Montezuma School to Farm Project is all about growing the taproots of our communities - kids, farmers, sustainable water and soil conservation practices, and fresh, local food. We can't think of a better way to spend our time. One kid at time, one carrot at a time, we are making a difference. OUR MISSION The Montezuma School to Farm Project unites our local agricultural heritage with our growing future by engaging students at the crossroads of sustainable agriculture, resource conservation, health, and economics through educational experiences in outdoor garden classes, on field trips, and in summer farm camps. WHAT WE DO The school garden classrooms provide accessible living laboratories where diet/nutrition, active lifestyle, water and soil conservation, and core curriculum lessons intersect. Whether it’s writing a poem about a plant’s life cycle, actively learning the science behind seed germination, studying the history of drought in the Southwest, or cooking with fresh vegetables, the garden is easily woven into every subject. Classes are an integral part of the school day so that learning in the school garden coincides with important science and math core lessons. Students integrate their learning in a meaningful way because they are an active participant in their learning experiences. HOW WE STARTED Since 2009, the Montezuma School to Farm Project (MSTFP), a program of the Mancos Conservation District in southwestern Colorado, has focused on providing integrated, hands-on, school garden classes in Montezuma County. It began with a farm field trip for 40 Mancos students initiated by an AmeriCorps member in 2009. In the seven years since those barn doors first opened to local kids, the program has grown to incorporate four school garden programs, professional School Garden Coordinators, expanded farm field trips and summer farm camps, a 2 acre School Production Area, and a cutting edge curriculum reaching over 2000 students on a monthly basis.