Smith Elementary spent the day learning outside the classroom in a fun way. Fourth graders went to Apple Seeds farm to dive into the world of food systems.
FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas — Nestled in the heart of Fayetteville, Apple Seeds Teaching Farm is buzzing with excitement. Each week, busloads of students from Springdale Public Schools step into a classroom unlike any other—one where lessons are rooted in the soil and taste-tested at the table.
This week, fourth graders from TG Smith Elementary made their way to the farm.
“They’re here for a couple hours to learn about how their food is grown, where it comes from, how to read a nutrition label,” said Tova Bohrer, program manager at Apple Seeds Inc. “We also bake some roasted roots and a yogurt dip with them so they can put what they’ve learned into practice. And learn how to roast things, how to measure spices and herbs, how to put together flavor combinations, and then they get a healthy snack at the end.”
The nonprofit farm has partnered with Springdale Public Schools to offer a unique, hands-on experience for students in grades Kindergarten through Fifth. Apple Seeds’ mission is to inspire healthy living through garden-based education.
At the farm, they don’t just learn about nutrition; they experience it firsthand. The farm currently partners with 12 Springdale schools, serving students from kindergarten through fifth grade. The program emphasizes equity, with a focus on schools where more than 45% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
“Next year, it will be more of them,” Bohrer said. “We get to see every kid every year as part of that partnership. In that partnership, we bring donated produce to the schools every month, and those get handed out and go home in backpacks for families to enjoy.”
Field trips begin with a lesson on food systems, followed by hands-on gardening, where students pick produce straight from the farm. Then it’s off to the kitchen, where young chefs chop, mix and cook a healthy snack—today’s menu included beets, carrots, sweet potatoes and a yogurt dip.
“It made me excited because I like to chop vegetables,” said Irene Gibson, a fourth grader from Smith Elementary. “It’s helped me to know how to chop—and there’s different ways to chop.” She adds, “I learned about processed and non-processed foods and learned about renewable and non-renewable foods.”
Bohrer said the program isn’t just about nutrition—it’s about early intervention. By introducing healthy habits to children at a young age, Apple Seeds aims to prevent diet-related illnesses and improve long-term outcomes.
“Being able to start with some of those lessons young, while they’re still malleable, sets kids up for health throughout their life,” Bohrer said. “It can help with success in school, focus, even test scores. It can help with just kind of opening up opportunities instead of opportunities closing because of diet-related illness or because of missing school because of health issues. One of the great things about kindergarten students is our tastes are kind of set.”
In addition to field trips, Apple Seeds provides other programs such as cooking classes and donates fresh produce to families in need. Their next food donation event is scheduled for Thursday, helping students take what they’ve learned—and grown—home to their families.