The Farm at Florence 1

10/12/2026

Well people told us it couldn't be done! A huge thanks to Healy Horticulture, Keith, Evan and River for their hard work! Now, what will we do with them???

10/10/2026

It's National Farm to School Month! More than 74,433 schools across the U.S. participate in Farm to School, and an estimated 45.6 million students have engaged with the program. Let's keep ag education going strong in our classrooms! 🍎 ✏️

Source: USDA Farm to School Census (2022-2023 school year).

10/09/2026

Lettuce GROW! Our aeroponic system is near completion and we are so excited.

A HUGE thanks to Haygrove 🇬🇧 UK, TriEst Ag Group, and Bonnie Plants.

10/02/2026

Fall is finally here 🍂🚜

Today, Mrs. Raison's class traded the classroom for The Farm and enjoyed a hands-on fall activity today.

Students rolled up their sleeves and made homemade salsa, combining freshly picked tomatoes and jalapeños with onion, garlic, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Students also learned how to hang fresh peppers to dry and enjoyed a fun tractor ride around The Farm.

After a day of hands-on fun and learning, they wrapped up their visit with a delicious lunch. There's nothing like giving students the chance to see where their food comes from and experience farm-to-table learning firsthand! 🍅🫑

10/02/2026

We are so proud to share that Dr. Kathleen Head recently presented findings from the Florence 1 Schools Harvest of the Month program at the 2026 Teaching Kitchen Collaborative Research Conference in Boston! Dr. Head highlighted the impact of a farm-to-school approach to increasing vegetable variety and nutrition education in K-12 schools.

According to the findings, Harvest of the Month side dishes contained more fiber on average than non-program dishes and helped to increase the variety of vegetables served on F1S cafeteria lines. Increased produce variety and fiber in the diet helps support gut health and long-term heart health. Most surveyed middle and high school students (90%) expressed interest in more vegetable-based options during school meals. The F1S harvest of the month is serving as a model to help inform the growth of farm-to-school programming across South Carolina.

Farmer Jeff was one of the co-authors of these findings, along with our amazing partners Dr. Kathleen Head, MUSC Boeing Center for Children's Wellness; Kerrie Hollifield, MUSC Boeing Center for Children's Wellness; Hannah Wilson, Clemson University; Farrah Wigand, South Carolina Department of Public Health; Angela Price, Chartwells K12; and John Ellis, Senn Brothers Produce.

09/25/2026

09/22/2026

Last week, Farmer Jeff was delighted to welcome dozens of high school culinary instructors from across the state for a tour with South Carolina ProStart, the state branch of the national ProStart organization. ProStart is a two-year high school program that blends classroom learning with real industry experience.

Jeff was excited to have the opportunity to share his vision for The Farm and how that has taken shape over the last several years, encouraging other district leaders to dream the impossible dream and make it happen! Visitors toured the raised bed garden, greenhouses, and teaching kitchen.

09/21/2026

Look at what we are growing!

09/01/2026