Greenville County Schools Farm to School

Students working towards their employability credentials at Connections Cafe at Roper Mountain Science Center had a great day prepping ahead for next week, having a little easter fun, and exploring the farm!

Roper Mountain Science Center

Today, Culinary Specialist Preston Agnew along with Director, Ron Jones visited the District Six Organic Farm & Nutrition Services, where fresh basil is being grown.

This locally grown basil will be used to produce pesto for Greenville County Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services. The pesto will be processed at Feed & Seed Co. and then distributed to schools across the district for use in a variety of dishes.

We are grateful to the U.S. Department of Agriculture SCALES grant for making the launch of this project possible. This is a great example of farm-to-school in action—supporting local farmers, utilizing South Carolina–grown products, and keeping the processing right here in our state. 🌿

SC Ag in the Classroom Clemson Extension School & Community Gardening National Farm to School Network

Students working towards their employability credentials at Roper Mountain Science Center are getting their hands dirty in the greenhouse! 🌿

They’ve been growing and starting plants that will soon support elementary school gardens in our community.

🌱 What’s growing?
• Tomatoes
• Green beans
• Cilantro
• Parsley
• Basil
• Thyme
• Radishes
• Sweet peppers

Learning, growing, and giving back—one plant at a time!

South Carolina Farm to School South Carolina Department of Agriculture Clemson Extension School & Community Gardening National Farm to School Network Greenville County Schools

Radish seeds are sprouting in the garden at Rudolph Gordon School!

A huge thank-you to Laura, the school’s manager, for helping take such great care of all the plants out there. We can’t wait to watch these little seedlings grow!

South Carolina Farm to School National Farm to School Network Greenville County Schools Nutrition Services Clemson Extension School & Community Gardening

Students in Ms. Williams’ kindergarten class spent the afternoon harvesting bok choy with Amanda Perez and Laura Mastrolillo in the Rudolph Gordon School garden.

Laura and her team will be cooking the freshly harvested bok choy to serve during lunch tomorrow.

The students also helped clear garden beds so another class can plant new crops. Stay tuned to see what starts growing next in the garden!

South Carolina Farm to School South Carolina Department of Agriculture School Nutrition Association

Last week, students working toward their employability credentials at Connections Café completed their final harvest before the frost!

They gathered tomatoes, sweet peppers, jalapeños, basil, ginger, and turmeric — all of which will be washed and preserved for soups, salads, and Thanksgiving dishes over the next few weeks. 🌱🥕🍅

South Carolina Farm to School Clemson Extension School & Community Gardening School Nutrition Association South Carolina Department of Agriculture

This morning, 4K students had a blast at the Great Pumpkin Roll event at Westcliffe Elementary! Our Culinary Specialist, Preston Agnew, and Area Manager, Christi Mills, shared fun and fascinating information about the life cycle of a pumpkin and how it grows.

Westcliffe Elementary South Carolina Department of Agriculture South Carolina Farm to School Greenville County Schools Nutrition Services Greenville County Schools

Farm to School Friday was a huge success!

Last week, farmers, community members, staff from the Riley Child Development Center, and our incredible Farm to School Team came together to host an unforgettable Farm Day for students and staff.

Students enjoyed hands-on activities and had the chance to interact with a variety of farm animals — a highlight of the day! To top it all off, they were treated to a sweet cotton candy surprise, courtesy of the FANS Catering Team.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this day so special!

Farm to School in Action! 🐣

Ms. Ogles’ 1st grade class at Fountain Inn Elementary hatched chicks right in their classroom using an incubator and eggs donated by a local farmer! 🥚🐥

Students tracked the countdown, candled the eggs, and watched the chicks grow — learning all about life cycles and where food comes from. 🌱📚

What an egg-citing way to learn! 🐓
Thank you, Ms. Ogles, for making science come to life!

South Carolina Farm to School National Farm to School Network South Carolina Department of Agriculture SC Ag in the Classroom Greenville County Schools Nutrition Services Greenville County Schools