We wish every child were lucky enough to have an on-farm education. Growing up on a chunk of land among vegetable gardens, goats and chickens gives a perspective on the world like no other—and it’s evident by talking to kids today that their perspective on food is a bit skewed. When most kids think their tomatoes come from a grocery store instead of a plant in the ground—or even worse, have never tasted a tomato!—you know we have a food-literacy problem on our hands. Fortunately, Golden Bridges School, the nation’s first urban farming school, is working to change that.
Construction is underway for the San Francisco school’s new campus, which will expand their Waldorf-style agricultural and outdoor education program from K-2 to K-8. The new campus is currently home to Little City Gardens, a 3/4-acre urban farm started in 2007, where many GBS students already help out.
The new school building, designed by Stanley Saitowitz of Natoma Architects, is the next best thing to growing up on a real farm. It will have a living building with green roofs and walls for attracting pollinators and regulating storm water runoff, and it will be constructed with plenty of windows to let in natural light and provide passive heating. Outside of the building is where things get fun. Three-quarters of the land is devoted to open space where students can learn and play. There’s an orchard, edible garden, chicken coops, outdoor kitchen and even a neighborhood gardening space.
According to EcoWatch, the new campus will accommodate 200 students, and the school, set to partially open in September 2017, is already accepting applications. Get a sneak peek of what’s to come on Inhabitat.