To increase our outreach to help fight food insecurity in our community, Rocky Park Farm has recently developed a partnership with Friendsville Elementary School in Friendsville, Tennessee (Blount County Schools).
Our first donation ask of a fresh produce bag was for 10 students. Included in each bag was a sampling of kale, lettuce, onions, arugula, collards and spinach. Each subsequent week, depending on each child’s need, will be more of one or two items in larger amounts that would better serve their family unit need. Principal Painter anticipates that as many as 25 students could ultimately be helped by our donations.
Pictured above with Rocky Park Farm’s manager, Roger, is Mr. Stan Painter, principal and 30 year educator in Blount County, Tennessee. Rocky Park Farm and the school has partnered in a project they refer to as “working with what is local” in helping students and families experiencing food insecurity. (Not pictured is Ms. Stephany Sims, Rocky Park Farm’s contact with respect to involvement in the new program and also an instructor at the elementary school.)
Rocky Park Farm very much look forward to helping to growing this program in any way we can. We also have a class from the school coming to visit the farm which we hope will pique their interest in learning about where there food comes from, how to grow their own food, and taking this information to their families who can utilize the farm as a local source of fresh, organically grown, produce!
We are grateful to Principal Painter and Ms. Sims for allowing us this opportunity to help provide fresh produce to students here in our back yard!
If you are interested in becoming a patron partner of the farm, our farm stand is open M-F 8a-4P. All purchases are donations and 100% of that money goes back into growing produce that will help to alleviate food insecurity in Blount County, TN!
If you are not local or unable to get to the farm stand but interested in donating to our mission, you can contact us here either by phone or filling out the form (please state “donation” in the subject line).