Live, Eat, Grow School Partner Program

Arcadia believes that introducing youth to where their food comes from and providing opportunities for them to grow their own food helps build a foundation for healthy living.

The Live, Eat, Grow (L.E.G.) School Partner Program recognizes the important role schools play in fostering wellness in the lives of children and the surrounding community.  The program is designed to grow and support school gardens along Route 1.

Becoming a L.E.G. school partner offers schools training resources, on-site assistance, and programming opportunities.  

L.E.G. School Partner Benefits

• A fall and spring in-person garden training session for staff and school volunteers
• Assistance in organizing a fall and spring community planting day
• Free seedlings for planting days
• Consultation with Arcadia's Outreach and Education Manager about garden development/maintenance.  
• Garden manual, resources, additional training opportunities
• Priority scheduling for school field trips at Arcadia Farm*
• School cafeteria taste tests for FCPS schools with salad bars.

* cost associated with field trips.

Being part of the L.E.G. School Partner Program is completely free to schools. However, schools need to have a committed staff person/committee that can serve as a point person for the garden.  In addition, school leadership needs to be supportive of the school garden efforts. 

Apply HERE to become a L.E.G. School Partner.

Produce from your School Garden

School garden produce can be used in a variety of ways. Harvested produce can be donated to a local pantry, sent home for student consumption (ex: weekend food assistance/backpack programs), used in a classroom cooking lesson, taste tests or integrated into the school cafeteria offerings or salad bar. 

• For food safety tips, please refer to the USDA guide, Best Practices for Handling Fresh Produce in Schools.   
• FCPS schools interested in starting a “Garden to Cafeteria” program please see the FCPS Garden to Cafeteria Plan and resources on the FCPS Get2Green site
• List of Fairfax County food providers accepting local produce - https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/food-council/providers-accepting-fresh-produce