Growing Together: Open Forum

Hi!

Our school is interested in having some sort of farmers market type activity using our Spring produce.  Each class has their own to eat and we will harvest what is left.  
What we don't know is how much extra we will produce yet and details like who to market this to - we have 400+ students so we can't really serve the entire population.  
we have some ideas of how to start small but I thought I'd check in here to see if anyone has done a farmers market concept and how you started.  

(we have the equivalent of 20 8X5 raised beds though a few will be slower to grow.  Our plan this year is to plant them all with the classes within a 2 week time frame so we can either harvest more at once for a market or give to the cafeteria (or both if we do market once and have more later that is extra).

I am sure we'd keep the market crops to greens and radish and or Mikado turnips.  Save the snap peas or other things for the classrooms

Hi Pam, so much fun!

You're lucky to live in a part of the country where you CAN grow enough early produce to do a market!

I'd consider reaching out to the parents' group (if there is one) and the school program coordinator to find one date in the spring where an after-school pick up might work, and have both promote it. This brings up questions like:  is there cold storage available in the school so that you can harvest all week and then bring the produce out to the stand? You'll of course want to source ecofriendly produce bags.  Check to see if the school (or a parent) has a Square or other remote card-reader - taking cash is difficult (as many folks don't carry it), but, imho you'll still want a cash box and change available.

My main question is: have you created lesson plans around the market project? It's a great opportunity for students to learn a very many things. Consider creating learning objectives on: public speaking (how will students talk about the garden and produce), Math (how to set prices and determine break-even; basic addition and subtraction in handling the money and in stocking the table), STEM (all the gardening issues of soil health, fertilizing, what happens to plants once they are cut, etc), Art/Design (how will the stand look) - so many things! 

Hi!

Our school is interested in having some sort of farmers market type activity using our Spring produce.  Each class has their own to eat and we will harvest what is left.  
What we don't know is how much extra we will produce yet and details like who to market this to - we have 400+ students so we can't really serve the entire population.  
we have some ideas of how to start small but I thought I'd check in here to see if anyone has done a farmers market concept and how you started.  

(we have the equivalent of 20 8X5 raised beds though a few will be slower to grow.  Our plan this year is to plant them all with the classes within a 2 week time frame so we can either harvest more at once for a market or give to the cafeteria (or both if we do market once and have more later that is extra).

I am sure we'd keep the market crops to greens and radish and or Mikado turnips.  Save the snap peas or other things for the classrooms

Hi!

Our school is interested in having some sort of farmers market type activity using our Spring produce.  Each class has their own to eat and we will harvest what is left.  
What we don't know is how much extra we will produce yet and details like who to market this to - we have 400+ students so we can't really serve the entire population.  
we have some ideas of how to start small but I thought I'd check in here to see if anyone has done a farmers market concept and how you started.  

(we have the equivalent of 20 8X5 raised beds though a few will be slower to grow.  Our plan this year is to plant them all with the classes within a 2 week time frame so we can either harvest more at once for a market or give to the cafeteria (or both if we do market once and have more later that is extra).

I am sure we'd keep the market crops to greens and radish and or Mikado turnips.  Save the snap peas or other things for the classrooms

Hi!

Our school is interested in having some sort of farmers market type activity using our Spring produce.  Each class has their own to eat and we will harvest what is left.  
What we don't know is how much extra we will produce yet and details like who to market this to - we have 400+ students so we can't really serve the entire population.  
we have some ideas of how to start small but I thought I'd check in here to see if anyone has done a farmers market concept and how you started.  

(we have the equivalent of 20 8X5 raised beds though a few will be slower to grow.  Our plan this year is to plant them all with the classes within a 2 week time frame so we can either harvest more at once for a market or give to the cafeteria (or both if we do market once and have more later that is extra).

I am sure we'd keep the market crops to greens and radish and or Mikado turnips.  Save the snap peas or other things for the classrooms

Hi!

Our school is interested in having some sort of farmers market type activity using our Spring produce.  Each class has their own to eat and we will harvest what is left.  
What we don't know is how much extra we will produce yet and details like who to market this to - we have 400+ students so we can't really serve the entire population.  
we have some ideas of how to start small but I thought I'd check in here to see if anyone has done a farmers market concept and how you started.  

(we have the equivalent of 20 8X5 raised beds though a few will be slower to grow.  Our plan this year is to plant them all with the classes within a 2 week time frame so we can either harvest more at once for a market or give to the cafeteria (or both if we do market once and have more later that is extra).

I am sure we'd keep the market crops to greens and radish and or Mikado turnips.  Save the snap peas or other things for the classrooms

Hello, I love this project and wanted to put my 2 cents in.

Focus on high yield, quick bloomers and harvests like radishes, tomatoes, etc. You could target staff and parents groups as well, maybe offering a sign-up sheet for orders in advance to help manage who is buying. You could then harvest and pack the produce based on those orders with pre-orders. If you have any extra produce, you could partner with the cafeteria to create simple salads or sandwiches, offering them for sale or donation during a farmers market simulation during lunch time. 

Hi!

Our school is interested in having some sort of farmers market type activity using our Spring produce.  Each class has their own to eat and we will harvest what is left.  
What we don't know is how much extra we will produce yet and details like who to market this to - we have 400+ students so we can't really serve the entire population.  
we have some ideas of how to start small but I thought I'd check in here to see if anyone has done a farmers market concept and how you started.  

(we have the equivalent of 20 8X5 raised beds though a few will be slower to grow.  Our plan this year is to plant them all with the classes within a 2 week time frame so we can either harvest more at once for a market or give to the cafeteria (or both if we do market once and have more later that is extra).

I am sure we'd keep the market crops to greens and radish and or Mikado turnips.  Save the snap peas or other things for the classrooms