What happens when you put a farm at the heart of a school?
You grow more than vegetables.
You grow knowledge.
You grow confidence.
You grow skills.
You grow relationships.
You grow connections.
And you create pathways for young people to see agriculture not just as an industry, but as a future.
That is the vision behind Farm My School.
The impact is being felt well beyond the farm gate.
Turning school grounds into places of possibility
Farm My School works with schools to turn underutilised land into productive, hands-on learning environments where students can grow food, learn about agriculture and develop practical skills.
Instead of simply learning about where food comes from in a textbook, students can put their hands in the soil.
Plant a seed.
Watch it grow.
Harvest it.
Cook it.
Taste it.
Eat it.
Students learn and understand the journey from soil to plate.
That experience can change the way young people think about food, farming, sustainability and their own capacity to make a difference.
Learning that happens beyond the classroom
One of the most powerful aspects of Farm My School is the opportunity to connect learning with real-world experiences.
Agriculture brings together science, mathematics, environmental studies, health, business, technology and enterprise.
A farm becomes a living classroom.
Students can learn about soil health, biodiversity, seasons, water, nutrition, food production and sustainability – while developing skills in teamwork, problem-solving and responsibility.
For some students, it can also spark something bigger: an interest in agriculture as a career.
Creating pathways into agriculture
Farm My School's Elective and traineeship programs are helping create practical pathways for young people to explore agriculture and develop skills that can be taken into further education, training and employment.
"It's improved my life overall — physically and mentally," says Paul, one of Farm My School's ex-trainees and no a farm hand.
"This helps me learn in new ways — and it helped me stay in school," says Charlee, who has also completed her traineeship with Farm My School.
This is particularly important at a time when the future of Australia's food system depends on attracting and developing the next generation of agricultural workers, innovators, growers and leaders.
For students, getting real experience can make all the difference.
They aren't just being told about an industry.
They're experiencing it.
Growing access to fresh, nutritious food
Farm My School is also working to strengthen the connection between people and fresh food through initiatives such as veggie boxes.
Fresh produce doesn't simply appear on supermarket shelves.
There is a story behind every carrot, tomato, lettuce and beetroot.
By growing and sharing fresh produce, Farm My School helps make that story visible while creating opportunities for people to engage more closely with seasonal, locally grown food.
It is part of a bigger conversation about food literacy, nutrition and access to nutrient-dense produce.
Because knowing how to grow, prepare and enjoy fresh food is a skill for life.
Nourishing more than the body
Through Nourish workshops, Farm My School brings food, cooking, growing and wellbeing together.
These experiences provide opportunities for participants to reconnect with food in a practical and positive way.
Rather than simply talking about healthy choices, participants can experience them.
They can harvest ingredients, prepare food, share a meal and understand the connection between what we grow and what we eat.
The farm becomes a place for conversation, connection and learning.
Bringing people together
The impact of Farm My School extends beyond students.
Our team building experiences give businesses and organisations the opportunity to step outside the traditional workplace and work together in a completely different environment.
Planting, harvesting, building, cooking and problem-solving together can create genuine connection.
There is something powerful about taking people away from screens and meeting tables and putting them side by side in a garden.
The experience is practical, purposeful and often a lot of fun.
The power of partnerships
None of this happens in isolation.
Farm My School's impact is made possible through partnerships with schools, educators, businesses, community organisations, families and people who believe that our relationship with food and farming matters.
These partnerships demonstrate what can happen when organisations bring different skills, resources and perspectives together around a shared purpose.
Measuring impact beyond numbers
The impact of Farm My School is beyond the spreadsheet.
It's the student who discovers the love of growing food.
The teenager who begins considering agriculture as a career.
The teacher who sees a student thrive outside the traditional classroom.
The family who starts growing vegetables at home.
The participant who discovers a new appreciation for fresh food.
The business team that leaves feeling more connected.
The community that sees an empty piece of school land become productive again.
These moments matter.
They are the human stories behind the numbers.
Two farms built inside real schools
Farm My School now operates two working regenerative market gardens, both built on school grounds:
- Bellarine Secondary College, Drysdale — a 1.5 linear kilometre market garden
-
Colac Secondary College — 2.1 linear kilometres of garden beds
39,000+ kilograms of produce, and growing
Farm My School has grown and distributed more than 39,000 kilograms of fresh, seasonal produce across its two sites.
That produce doesn't sit in one place – it moves through affordable veggie boxes, local farm gates and markets, and directly into school canteens and classrooms, putting fresh food back within reach of the families and students closest to it.
This is just the beginning
Farm My School is continuing to evolve.
Through our veggie boxes, Nourish workshops, Education Programs, Team Building Experiences, school partnerships, Electives and Traineeships, we are creating more opportunities for people to connect with food, farming, education and each other.
The vision is simple:
Grow food.
Grow knowledge.
Grow people.
Grow communities.
Our farms are places where young people can learn by doing, where communities can connect, where businesses can contribute and where the next generation can discover the possibilities of agriculture.
Because when we invest in the relationship between young people, food and farming, we're not just growing today's vegetables.
We're helping grow tomorrow's food system.
Whether you're a school, educator, business, community organisation or someone who simply believes that young people should know where their food comes from, there is a place for you in the Farm My School community.
Want to be part of what comes next? Whether that's donating, partnering with us, bringing your team to the farm, or simply shopping a veggie box, every bit of support helps grow the next chapter of this story.
Be part of the Farm My School story.
