Food, Farming & Community
Goals
The curriculum aims to teach Kentucky youth about local food systems through the digital stories of Kentucky farmers and local food practitioners. Lessons use popular education techniques to engage students. This approach empowers students by involving them in interactive learning methods and discussions. Ultimately, the curriculum encourages students to appreciate and support sustainable local food systems and consider careers in these fields.
Audience
This version of the curriculum is meant to be used by middle school agriculture educators.
Curriculum
This curriculum features 10 45-minute lesson plans and three 20-minute videos (which are meant to be shown in 10-minute segments). It concludes with a group social action project. These projects can be entered into a special category of the UK Martin-Gatton CAFE FFA/4-H Field Day every April. Contact Dr. Stacy Vincent for more information.
Lesson Plans
Educators can access all 10 lessons, including the three videos and related materials, through links at the bottom of this page. Each lesson begins with learning objectives and includes interactive activities, worksheets and reflection questions.
Developed By
This curriculum was developed in 2023 as a collaboration between Black Soil (Ashley Smith, co-founder and CEO), Need More Acres Farm (Michelle Howe, farmer), Unsung Hero Media (Brandon Turner, videographer) and UK faculty (Dr. Stacy Vincent, professor of agriculture education, and Dr. Nicole Breazeale, associate professor of community and leadership development). The videos would not be possible without the generous contributions of our featured storytellers, including former NFL player Avery Williamson who introduces them. A special thanks to Lilly Fink Shapiro for her curriculum development support and Dallas Cooks for the initial piloting of the lessons. We are also indebted to the seven Kentucky agriculture educators who piloted the curriculum with more than 1,000 students across the state during the 2023-24 school year; their insights were critical to the revision of this curriculum.
The development of this curriculum was supported by a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) PDP grant (Breazeale - SUB00002624) and a UK Food Connection grant.
For more information, contact Dr. Nicole Breazeale.
Lesson Plans & Videos
Our 10 lesson plans and accompanying videos are broken into four modules.
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Join UsLesson Plans
Module 1: Introducing the Food System
Module 2: Farming for the Kentucky Local Food System
Module 3: How Food Cultivates Community, Culture and Resilience
Module 4: Digging In, Taking Root
Videos
The Story of Kentucky Farmers and How Partnerships are Growing the Local Food System for Everyone
Episode 1 is about what it means to be a Kentucky farmer producing for the local food system. This episode is for youth who may be interested in farming in urban or rural areas. It shows students how you get into this field and highlights other farmers and people who are committed to helping youth along the way.
Local Food Connectors Grow Markets for Farmers and Address Fresh Food Access
Episode 2 demonstrates that farming is only one aspect of the local food system, emphasizing the diverse ways that students can play a role in their local food system to support their community. This episode focuses on the importance of education, food access and supporting the local food economy through farmers markets and co-ops. It underscores the importance that everyone, regardless of income or circumstance, can access fresh, local produce.
Youth Farmers Explore the Importance of Passion, Hard Work, Sustainability and Community in Agriculture
Episode 3 illustrates diverse ways that teenagers can be important players in the local food system. The video features three Kentucky youth in rural and urban settings who are passionate about making a difference in their communities through beekeeping, farming and community-based local food system work. A key message is that there are many meaningful ways for youth to get involved in their local food system, and there are resources (like ag educators) to support them along the way.
