MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The students at New Hope Christian Academy are getting back to nature and learning hands-on about farming, all in an urban setting.
The Academy created an urban farm and forest to teach kids about the benefits and wonder of fruits and vegetables, so they learn where their nourishment comes from and how to keep it going.
“It provides hands on learning and teaching from things that you wouldn’t normally find in the heart of the city,” said Amy Speropoulos, Director of Communications for New Hope Christian Academy. “A big part of the teaching and learning takes place in our urban farm and forest.”
Horticulturist David Vaughan worked to create this space for the students.
“This is a project 10 years in the making. It is, I like to describe it as a fusion between an outdoor classroom and a production garden,” said Vaughan. “We want to show our students the diversity of what can be grown here in Memphis.”
What grows in the urban farm? A whole lot!
“We have apples, pears, Asian persimmons, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, obviously watermelon in the summer - a whole long list of fruits. We grow almost all the vegetables you can during the summer months into the fall and spring. And then we also have a plethora of herbs, including all kinds of mints for smell and Stevia and pineapple sage. All of the things that really get kids inspired with senses,” said Vaughan.
The products of the farm are then provided to parents and family members.
“Every Friday we have a what we call ‘pay what you can’ stand, where we actually package all of the produce that we have during a given week. We bag it up and give it away to parents and family members for free. So, beginning really in March all the way through November we do that once a week,” he said.
And during the summer when school is out, high school students help keep the seeds growing.
“Every summer when the teachers are off on vacation, the farm’s actually at its peak. So, in order to keep up with it, we hire anywhere from four to six high school students who used to be New Hope students who have moved on to high school,” said Vaughan. “They come back and work with me and it’s an absolute highlight to see their growth, but also to actually nurture them in the horticultural sense, and really get their hands dirty and see how a farm like this operates.”
In the end, it’s all about learning.
“Really the goal is just to get our students out in nature. Be it learning science, getting your hands dirty, or just sitting in the shade reading a book with her teacher,” he said.