A Bittersweet Farewell to Our School-Based Farm Stands
For the past several years, once a week at Simon Elementary (Ward 7) and Whittier Elementary (Ward 4), the end of the school day has brought something extra: a mission-driven, community-centered farm stand. Students, their families, teachers, and neighbors gather at the farm stands to pick up fresh, delicious produce at wholesale prices, sample FoodPrints recipes, and connect with each other.
Due to projected funding constraints, FRESHFARM will not reopen the farm stands at Simon and Whittier Elementary Schools in 2027. Their final days are:
- Simon Elementary: Thursday, November 19
- Whittier Elementary: Tuesday, November 24
We recognize the disappointment this decision will bring to these school communities. We hope you’ll stop by one last time to stock up and say goodbye.
How It Started: FoodPrints in the Community
We launched the farm stands at Simon and Whittier as a pilot. The idea was to take what students learn in FoodPrints, our food and garden education program, beyond the classroom, and create new spaces where FoodPrints families and the surrounding neighborhoods could buy fresh, affordable produce close to home, learn where it comes from, and explore new, simple ways to prepare it.
Each week, the FRESHFARM Food Hub team delivered about 50 pounds of produce to the schools from local growers like Barajas Produce, Mickley’s Orchard, and Pleitez Produce Farm. FRESHFARM market staff set up the stand outside the school, managed the sales, and collaborated with the FoodPrints team to engage customers with tastings and activities.
What the Simon and Whittier Farm Stands Made Possible
These school-based farm stands grew into much more than a place to buy fruits and vegetables. They became gathering spots where families, school staff, and neighbors came together to connect, sample seasonal FoodPrints recipes, and share joy.
- Fresh food was more affordable. Like our other farm stands, these two accepted SNAP/EBT, FMNP, Produce Plus, and offered FreshMatch, our dollar-for-dollar matching incentive program. At Whittier and Simon, farm stands quickly became food access points in their communities: in 2024, 27% of farm stand transactions were paid with federal nutrition benefits and incentives, compared with an average of 4% at our farmers markets.
- FoodPrints’ joyful learning extended beyond the classroom. The same seasonal produce students cooked with in FoodPrints class was also sold at the stand. Families and caregivers could pick up the ingredients to make those very dishes without an extra trip to the store. Neighbors could also join the learning and joy, sampling a FoodPrints recipe and purchasing high-quality fresh produce they loved to eat, or ingredients to try something new in the kitchen.
- Families and neighbors got easier access to produce fresh from the farm. For parents, caregivers, school staff, and neighbors who may face transportation barriers, have limited time, or feel local food is out of reach, the stands offered convenient fresh produce.
As Lisa Washington, a speech pathologist at Whittier Elementary, put it:
“The farm stand is a beautiful meeting spot. Everyone is sharing in the experience — Whittier students are applying their math or communication skills, our garden club is getting involved, Coolidge High School students are helping, and FoodPrints students are sharing their excitement for produce or recipes they made at school.”
Why Are the School-Based Farm Stands Closing?
Federal funds that have long sustained FRESHFARM’s work have been cut. As we looked across our food access programs throughout the District, we had to make difficult choices about how best to focus our limited resources and where we can have the greatest impact. The school-based farm stands have been deeply aligned with our mission, but the cost of operating them was more than we could sustain.
This was an incredibly difficult decision, and we did not make it lightly. FoodPrints programming at both schools will continue this school year, and students will keep growing, harvesting, cooking, and eating seasonal food together.
Where To Shop and How To Support Us
Markets and farm stands near both schools offer the same fresh produce we had at these school farm stands. We’d love to keep seeing you at our markets. Explore our full market schedule to find other options.
These farm stands were special because of the people who showed up for them. Thank you to the shoppers who made them part of their week, the families and neighbors who stopped by after school, and the students who brought so much energy and joy to every market day. Thank you to our champions at Whittier and Simon, to our farmer partners, and to the FRESHFARM teams who delivered, set up, and made every farm stand day possible.
If you value FRESHFARM’s work and want to support FoodPrints and beyond, please consider giving today at freshfarm.org/donate. Questions about giving? Reach us at giving@freshfarm.org.
