Sunday Funday Moment: Idea school teaches students the importance of farming
El Paso, Texas-- Earth Day was recently celebrated on Friday April 22nd, but Idea Public School In Horizon, City is teaching their student's to celebrate the beauty of our earth everyday!
“Ever since I was a kid I always enjoyed playing outdoors and helping my mom in the garden," said Deborah Ray, Assistant Manager of Idea School's Farm Program. "I was always interested in food and in nature and as I got older in high school I kinda noticed that farming and horticultural is where all those interests came together.”
During her college years Ray spent her time working in multiple farms to complete her Bachelors and Master degree.
“Now I want to make sure that all students have the same opportunity to encounter food and nature in the same way that I did when I was a kid,” said Ray.
The main goal behind Idea School’s Farm program is to make sure the students are able to use the on hands experience they get from the program in their everyday lives.
“I think this program is important because this provides a real world setting where students can encounter everything that they're learning in the classroom,” said Ray.
All the food student's grow at the farms goes directly to the school’s cafeteria and is used in meals at no cost to students.
“We grow a variety of things throughout the year," said Ray. "Right now we're transitioning from cool season crops to warm season crops so we have some young squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant and things of that sort.”
Idea’s School's Farm program is a way to get our youth excited about something they never knew could be exciting.
"We’ve had one student who had gotten to harvest carrots with us this season and every time she would pull a carrot out of the ground she would scream because she was so excited,” shared Ray.
For 7th grader, Sophia Bretado, being a part of Idea School's Farm program is something she is most proud of.
“It’s really fun if you plant something and you get to see the progress of how it’s grown and it just makes you feel proud of yourself because you get to see what you accomplished,” said Bretado.
You can find more details on Idea's School's Farm Program by clicking here, and you can watch more farming videos on the school's YouTube Channel.
