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

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Pam Bond
Los Gatos
16507933844
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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! 

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sue salinger
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Great questions/comments, thanks!  I am realizing that for this purpose we might be allowed to use the cafeteria fridge.  I will have to ask the Food Services director if we can use some space for a week.  That was my stumbling block for the harvest - esp if each class wants to harvest their own garden it's hard to have them all there at one time, so over a week and refrigerating is a great idea.
I am coordinating this with a 5th grade teacher and I think she will use her class and the community service group K-Kids to man the market.  I have to see how in-depth we can get with the lesson but I know that is part of her goal.

It sounds like now that the Principal wants to hold the first market during a board meeting but its a school showcase board meeting so there will be more parents and teachers there.  We'll have to figure out how to manage the quantity of produce available.  This will be a good trial run I guess!

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Pam Bond
Los Gatos
16507933844
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-06-2025 11:48:51 AM
From: sue salinger
Subject: School Farmers Market - examples or tips and tricks?

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! 

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sue salinger
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We have sold our produce several ways. You can sell to teachers and parents at the end of the school day, sending out an announcement about the special event beforehand.
You can sell it self-serve style in the teachers’ lounge, although I think the act of providing customer service is valuable for the kids.
You can also send out an email to staff listing the products you have, along with quantities and prices, and advertise free delivery by the students! They love it!
Jamie Easley
School Garden Club Moderator
Dubuque, IA

Sent from my iPhone

Thanks! What kind of quantities have you had for this and do you portion out what to sell vs what the kids can eat themselves?  In my experience we have usually had plenty of extra but then the kids might take it home with them since we didn't have a plan for what to do with it. Or we left it in the teachers lounge, but I never loved that other than the value to the teachers.  It was very parent work heavy and not much from the kids.  I like the idea of pre-ordering.  Maybe we can do that at the end of the year when everyone is busy and we just want to get the food out to people without a big production.

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Pam Bond
Los Gatos
16507933844
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-06-2025 03:42:45 PM
From: Jamie Easley
Subject: School Farmers Market - examples or tips and tricks?

We have sold our produce several ways. You can sell to teachers and parents at the end of the school day, sending out an announcement about the special event beforehand.
You can sell it self-serve style in the teachers' lounge, although I think the act of providing customer service is valuable for the kids.
You can also send out an email to staff listing the products you have, along with quantities and prices, and advertise free delivery by the students! They love it!
Jamie Easley
School Garden Club Moderator
Dubuque, IA

Sent from my iPhone

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. 

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Kalie J
Fostering Hope Ohio
OH
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Thanks!  Those are good ideas!   

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Pam Bond
Los Gatos
16507933844
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-07-2025 12:45:06 PM
From: Kalie J
Subject: School Farmers Market - examples or tips and tricks?

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. 

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Kalie J
Fostering Hope Ohio
OH
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