First-ever Farm to School summit to be held at Purdue University Fort Wayne

Purdue University Fort Wayne is hosting its inaugural Farm to School summit on November 14, something PFW assistant professor of early childhood development Julia Smith is hoping will motivate educators to offer their students learning experiences at local farms, set up school gardens, and introduce concepts of sustainability.

According to an article on Purdue University Fort Wayne's website, Smith discussed the desired outcome of the event, saying, “The idea behind the event was to build awareness. This is something that I’ve been teaching in my class for a while, the idea of school gardens and getting children outdoors, connected to nature, and learning where our food comes from. There are a lot of connections to learning when you are teaching children hands-on experiential learning outdoors rather than everything taking place in the classroom.”

Smith went on to discuss why this awareness is important, and why school-aged children are the target for the education she is hoping to inspire other instructors to take on. She said, “I just feel like this generation is much more environmentally aware. These young people are coming out and speaking up for the environment. If we can give them some ideas of ways where they can push back a little bit against that more conventional thinking in education, they might just say, `Hey, let’s go back to the basics and look at the beautiful environment we have and how can we teach from this?’”

The events at the summit will include talks from local experts, discussions about adding to food and farming curriculum, and ways to introduce local food into schools. There will be a keynote presentation from Brianna Goode, who serves as the Indiana Department of Health Farm to School coordinator. In addition, there will be workshop sessions and tables set up by community and partner organizations.

Smith has been deeply involved in gardening, sustainability efforts, and championing local produce. She set up an urban garden at the Allen County Extension Office, and also donates produce from the garden to the PFW FRIENDS of the University food pantry.

Isabel Nunez, dean of the School of Education, shared her pride in the work Smith has been doing, and her excitement for the summit, saying, “The School of Education is proud of our urban garden and the work of Julia Smith and the team that put it together. This is an opportunity to bring young people into a natural space and learn about healthy eating, sustainable agriculture, and deepen their commitment to a healthy environment.”

The free summit is being organized by Smith, the Northeast Indiana Farm to School Network, the Northeast Indiana Farm to School Team, and the Purdue Extension of Allen County. It is taking place in the Classic Ballroom in the Walb Student Union beginning at 2pm.

Smith hopes the event will inspire educators and the young generation they are teaching. “How can we access food in our local communities and serve that in our schools? I think the young people might not have the toolset yet, but they have the passion and are willing to learn about local foods.”

For more information about Purdue University Fort Wayne, visit the school’s website.