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Mitchell High School Educational Farm

Promoting Blue Ridge agricultural heritage in local schools.

Grantee: Mitchell County Schools

Amount Awarded: $18,000
Award Date: May, 2013

A grant from the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership helped Mitchell High School in Bakersville, NC create a working educational farm for its students.

Located on campus, the Mountaineer Stewards school farm provides hands-on education in traditional farming practices, agribusiness, animal husbandry, and horticultural practices. Students produce food for the school cafeteria and for sale at farmers markets and to local restaurants.

BRNHA grant funds were used to build a greenhouse for student projects and were matched by other farm infrastructure including a chicken house, rabbit house, and barn. Enrollment in in the farm program for the 2013-2014 school year increased to 160 students, nearly a third of the student population.