To specifically identify challenges faced by students in madison metropolitan school district (MMSD), we look to the 2023 dane county pandemic food system study which determined, children are…

Rooted WI Inc. received a $240,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program (CFDA 10.522), effective September 15, 2025 through September 14, 2027. The award funds the "I Grew That!": Student Propelled School Lunches program, which addresses identified gaps in agricultural and nutrition education within the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD). Building on a successful 2023 pilot program, this initiative connects elementary, middle, and high school students to local food systems through progressive agricultural education and hands-on learning experiences.

The program delivers structured agricultural education and service learning activities across grade levels within MMSD. Elementary students in grades 1-3 receive foundational agricultural lessons, seed-starting instruction, and farm visits for harvesting and tasting fresh produce. Grades 4-5 students grow transplants at Rooted farms that are subsequently cultivated and harvested by paid high school youth employees for school lunch incorporation. Middle school students evaluate student-grown produce varieties and sample high school culinary program recipes, providing input on which items to feature in school meals. This multi-tiered approach develops agricultural knowledge, nutrition awareness, and leadership competencies while establishing a sustainable pipeline of locally-grown produce for MMSD lunch programs.

To specifically identify challenges faced by students in madison metropolitan school district (MMSD), we look to the 2023 dane county pandemic food system study which determined, children are disconnected from the food system, which has implications on their food and dietary choices as well as their connection to agriculture as a profession. Many children lack access to nutrition, cooking, and garden education (dane county pandemic food system study, P. 57). Rooted has a long history of garden education programming involving MMSD students and is uniquely positioned to help reconnect students to their food system through a network of established agriculture sites within school district boundaries.for this project rooted proposes the 'I grew that!': student propelled school lunches program, which will build upon a successful 2023 pilot project connecting rooted-led elementary school classroom activities with paid high school service learning jobs to supply student grown produce for madison metropolitan school district lunches. The I grew that! Project will provide elementary school students in first through third grade with foundational agricultural lessons, hands-on experience starting seeds, and a visit to a rooted farm to harvest and taste fresh fruits and vegetables. Students in fourth and fifth grade will also participate in agricultural lessons and grow transplants to be planted at one of rooted's farms. These plants will be cared for and harvested by paid high school youth employees, expressly for the school lunch program and peer tasting events. In order to gain more voice in what they eat at school, middle school students will participate in evaluating student-grown fruit and vegetable varieties and will sample recipes developed by high school culinary programs. Through their taste testing, the students will determine which produce is most preferred and recommend which student recipes to incorporate into school lunches. At its core, this project enables students to intimately learn about and participate within their local food system. Students across the program will be afforded engaging hands-on agricultural experiences, all of which are intended to contribute to a student-informed school lunch program and an increase in locally-grown food in MMSD school meals, ultimately resulting in healthier food choices made by MMSD students.