About
The Food Literacy Project provides farm-based experiential education and entrepreneurial youth development programs that bring the Field-to-Fork experience to life for local youth.
In a time of great concern about the safety of our food sources, rising obesity and diabetes rates, as well as the cultural disconnection between our food and the earth, the Food Literacy Project offers experiential education programs that foster healthier children, healthier communities, and increased respect for the land.
Our plant, agriculture, and food education programs are available to public and private school classes, community groups, youth and after-school programs, and special needs groups. We also offer professional development for educators, focusing on ways to infuse themes of food and nutrition into curriculum. The Food Literacy Project offers a rare opportunity to engage in a sustainable food system, and to share in the pleasures and rewards of farming.
Vision and Mission
The Food Literacy Project envisions a just and sustainable food system in which people foster a deep understanding of what connects us to each other and the natural world.
Our mission is to inspire a new generation of people to build relationships with healthy food, farming, and the land.
Community Impact
In 2010, over 2,000 local youth got their hands dirty and tried something new at the farm. Because we strive to engage the members of the community who are most in need, 87% of those students qualified for free or reduced lunch at school. Many of the youth we serve have never been to a farm before, and live in neighborhoods identified as “food deserts,” meaning that their families face limited access to fresh produce and overexposure to fast food.
Our programs empower youth to make healthy choices for themselves, and also to become leaders in addressing issues of food security in our community.
Teaching Philosophy
We take a hands-on approach, encouraging youth to get their hands dirty, taste new foods fresh from the field, and get involved in the work of the farm. Our inquiry-based programs emphasize real experience, and participants are encouraged to use all their senses to explore. The farm is a living classroom where students can learn by discovery, cultivating a sense of wonder about where our food comes from.
FLP on KET
Thanks to the staff of KET’s Louisville Life for producing this piece and granting the Food Literacy Project permission to share it here.