Winter Farm to School Activities
Although most crops are sleeping and the garden has been put to bed, winter is far from quiet when it comes to farm to school learning. The colder months offer a valuable opportunity to slow down, reflect, and deepen students’ connections to food, the garden, and the people who grow and harvest food, both indoors and out!
From planning next year’s garden, to many classroom lessons and and hands-on cooking, the activities below are a starting point to inspire farm to school learning year round.
What Farm to School Activities are you integrating this winter? Let us know!
1. Observe & Reflect on the Winter Garden
Activity: Observe and document changes in your school garden throughout the winter.
Students can draw, photograph, or journal about plant dormancy, soil conditions, and wildlife activity.
Related Lessons:
2. Plan for Next Year’s Garden
Activity: Use winter as planning season for the upcoming garden year. Students can help decide what to grow, where to plant, and how to care for crops.
Related Lessons:
3. Start a Seed Library
Activity: Create a classroom or school seed library.
Students learn about seed saving, labeling, storage, and sharing resources within a community.
Related Lesson:
Fractions and Fairness Garden Planning (Grade Level 1)
5. Garden-Inspired Art
Activity: Create art for and about the garden using drawings, posters, poetry, or mixed media.
Related Lesson:
6. Explore Food, Culture & Traditions
Activity: Investigate cultural connections to food, traditions, and flavors from around the world.
Related Lessons & Resources:
7. Hands-On Food Science: Make Butter
Activity: Shake heavy cream to make butter.
Students observe physical changes as liquid cream turns solid. Enjoy immediately or create compound butter with herbs, fruit, or honey.
Extension Ideas:
Connect to lessons on dairy farming, chemistry, or traditional food preparation.
8. Food Preservation Lessons
Activity: Learn how foods are preserved through freezing, drying, pickling, and root cellaring.
Related Lesson:
9. Grow Herbs or Microgreens Indoors
Activity: Create a classroom herb or microgreen garden under grow lights.
Students track growth, learn plant care, and harvest for simple recipes.
10. Hold Winter Produce Taste Tests
Activity: Sample seasonal foods such as cabbage, dried beans, maple syrup, honey, and beef.
Students can describe flavors, textures, and vote on favorites.
11. Take a Cafeteria Tour
Activity: Host a tour of the school kitchen for students, faculty, and parents.
12. Meet a Farmer
Activity: Invite local farmers to speak about their farms and the farming industry. This is often a slower season for farmers so a great time for them to visit.
13. Maine Lobster & the Working Waterfront
Learn how lobster fishing continues through winter and supports Maine’s food economy.
Activity Ideas:
Map where lobster boats fish in winter vs. summer
Learn lobster anatomy and life cycle
Discuss sustainability rules (trap limits, size laws)
Explore careers: lobsterman, marine biologist, dealer, processor