New Farm-to-School Initiative Will Grow Greens Inside MPS Classrooms
USDA grant funds hydroponic growing systems, training and local food connections.
Inside of a Flex Farm system. Photo by Sophie Bolich.
Milwaukee Public Schools classrooms will grow minds and greens under a new program.
In April, the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI) in East Troy, Wisconsin, received a $440,000 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
In October—which is designated as National Farm to School Month by the National Farm to School Network—MFAI will use the grant to launch the Farm to School initiative, a new multiyear produce project to be implemented across 20 schools in the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) system.
The initiative aims to “expand the availability of locally grown foods in the [MPS] child nutrition program by strengthening farm to school food pathways and enhancing student agricultural education,” according to a document published by the USDA.
“[Farm to School] turns food education into something young people can grow, taste, and understand. It’s an opportunity to cultivate healthier children while helping build a stronger and more connected local food system,” said Renesha Muchapondwa, one of the initiative’s leaders, in a statement.
MFAI is set to partner with Fork Farms on the initiative’s educational component. Fork Farms is a Wisconsin-based food access technology company that makes a hydroponic growing system called Flex Farm. The refrigerator-sized “farm” can grow leafy greens and herbs indoors year-round and provide up to 25 pounds of fresh food every 28 days. The initiative’s 20 recipient schools will receive Flex Farms, along with growing supplies and hands-on training.
A kickoff training set for Oct. 8 at Harold S. Vincent High School will prepare teachers to implement the initiative. Fork Farms representatives will provide information on how the growing system can be incorporated into STEM and agricultural education, as well as hands-on guidance for using Flex Farm with students. Teachers will also learn about plant care, maintenance, food safety and harvesting.
“When students watch lettuce grow a few steps from the cafeteria or in their classroom and then eat it at lunch, it changes how they think about food,” said Josh Mahlik, Fork Farms’ central region vice president, in a statement.
To achieve its goal of strengthening farm-to-school food pathways, the initiative will connect local producers to recipient schools through the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative.
“[The initiative] creates a tangible connection between the farm, the classroom, and the plate,” said Muchapondwa.
Farm to School is an expansion of the MFAI’s Milwaukee Urban Agriculture Network project, and will be rolled out over the 2026-27 school year. The project aims to include up to 40 schools by 2027.
Fork Farms previously partnered with the Milwaukee Fire Department to locate a farm within a fire station. It has a large partnership under development with Rockwell Automation.
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