Murray elementary wins Kentucky farm to school challenge

By Blake Jackson

Murray Elementary School (MES) was recently announced as one of three prize winners in the Kentucky Farm to School Challenge. The challenge, which was hosted by the Kentucky Horticulture Council, took place throughout October and called on participating schools to complete at least one activity each in three areas of farm to school: taste, learn, and grow.

As part of the project, students from Murray State University's Hutson School of Agriculture assisted MES students with garden activities at the school. The students planted and harvested vegetables, observed and learned about the life cycle of a butterfly, and participated in other hands-on learning activities.

MES was awarded a $225 gift card to Tractor Supply for additional garden supplies. The prize was presented by Dakota Moore of the Kentucky Horticulture Council and Jamie Guffey, treasurer of Kentucky Agriculture and Environment in the Classroom.

"We were honored to be a part of this and to showcase Kentucky agriculture," said Dr. Alyx Shultz, head of agriculture science for the Hutson School of Agriculture and the garden activity coordinator for MES. "This prize is such a sweet icing on the cake."

The Hutson School of Agriculture has been working with MES on the garden, named "Mabel's Garden" after Mabel Pullen, for seven years. The garden is a valuable resource for the school, as it helps students learn about where food comes from and make healthier choices.

"It's more than just Fall on the Farm," said Courtney Vanover, MES library teacher. "It's opening up kids' eyes to the possibilities that come with agriculture. It's all around them and they don't even know how much is out there for them and how it's right in our back yard."

The Kentucky Farm to School Challenge is an initiative of the Kentucky Farm to School Network, a network of agencies, organizations, and individuals passionate about farm to school. This year's prizes were sponsored by the generosity of Kentucky Agriculture and Environment in the Classroom and by Capstone Farms.

Photo Credit: farm-to-school