“A day on the farm may be their first experience ever thinking about how our food system works” – Anne Rosenthal. The program started small – essentially just as a destination for elementary school field trips – but soon expanded. “If we want to prime students to have positive experiences trying healthy foods in the cafeteria, it’s only fair that we work to give them experiences that will really excite them,” said Anne Rosenthal, one of the Farm to School specialists. The aim: to connect city students to nature and food systems. The land was then bought by the Baltimore City Schools, who used the property as a plant nursery and nature center before hiring a group of Farm to School specialists in 2018 to transition it into an educational hub. Located off Route 40 in Catonsville, the 33-acre property was initially bought by George Bragg, a formerly enslaved man, in 1911.īragg used the property as an orphanage and agricultural educational center for Black children until the 1950s, when the foster care system took over. In fact, it didn’t use to be a farm at all. The farm didn’t use to have a summer camp. Luckily, the Great Kids Farm and Forest Camp is just that. Getting school kids to cheer about reducing food waste takes a special kind of summer camp. The children have just cut the amount of compost in half from the day before. “We will, we will weigh you,” they sing to the tune of Queen’s iconic “We Will Rock You.”Įveryone cheers as the total is declared: four pounds of compost and 0.1 pounds of meat waste. With the kids having chosen their victim, the chant begins. “On the count of three, you’re all gonna point to a counselor that you want to be our chant leader today.” “Alright, it’s that time for our compost and food waste to weigh in,” announces Laura Menyuk, Great Kids Farms’ camp director, in the tone of a game show host presenting a special bonus category.

Trash at each of the tables has been separated into three buckets – compost, food waste, and liquid waste – before it is brought up to the front of the cafeteria. The end of lunchtime at Great Kids Farm and Forest Camp looks a bit different from most cafeterias.

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