Watertown Public Schools has secured an $82,946 state grant from the Massachusetts Fresh Corp program to expand its farm-to-school initiative, including its Freight Farm.
The Freight Farm, a converted 40-foot shipping container using vertical farming in a closed-loop system, was acquired during the summer. This initiative began growing in October, with formal student farming education starting in January, followed by the first harvests of lettuce and other crops.
According to a Watertown News report, funding for Watertown Public Schools comes from the Massachusetts Fresh Corp program, which aims to boost local food purchasing and educational opportunities in K-12 and early education. Currently, the Farm-to-School program supplies food to cafeterias in Watertown's five schools and offers hands-on learning in three elementary garden spaces, including composting and maintenance activities.
"The Fresh Corp grant allows us to implement our Freight Farm project with supplies, training, and providing funding for a Freight Farm manager and increasing our garden coordinator's hours," said Elizabeth Kaplan, K-8 math and science coordinator and Watertown's farm-to-school coordinator, in a statement shared with Watertown News. "We are so grateful to receive this funding to support our already robust Farm-to-School program."
Watertown Superintendent Dr. Dede Galdston highlighted the program's high-tech, sustainable approach and announced that a high-tech farming course will launch at the end of January.
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