The Food Literacy Project at Oxmoor Farm 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.
Their 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. They also offer professional development for educators, focusing on ways to infuse themes of food and nutrition into curriculum.
This 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.
Their 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 FLP strives 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 served 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.
Their 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
FLP takes 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. Their 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.
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