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The Regenerative Farm
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Development of the Regenerative Farm
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Hello Fellow Rogers Families,
I am so happy to introduce you to the Will Rogers Regenerative Farm, the newest expansion of our campus, located on the corner of Maple and 16th. For those of you who do not know me, I am a Roger's parent. My daughter is in second grade and my son will be starting kindergarten this fall, August 2021. Myself, along with Ryan Bourke, Paola Vezzulli, Oliver English of Common Table Creative, Austin Toyama and our new head farmer, Matt Van Diepen have been working hard to bring our ideas and our community together to make this farm first of its kind in the Los Angeles area. The farm is first and foremost a learning space for our children. It is essentially an "outdoor classroom" in which our students can apply their knowledge in a real world-world setting. The Roger's community and the greater Santa Monica community are also an essential part of our vision.
We have big plans for this farm, which include our children planting, harvesting, composting, learning to cook, giving back to the community, farmers markets and more. Ultimately, we are teaching our children to become stewards of the earth. The farm includes an outdoor classroom, mindfulness herb garden, compost section, fruit trees, indigenous plants, cover crops and vegetables.
This has already been an incredible source of knowledge and joy for myself, husband and children (Kahya and Corbin). Did you know on the field trip to the farm this past week the second graders tasted organic daikon radish leaves and fava beans! I was there and not a single child refused to try them and most kids raved over how much they liked them. As my friend Oliver quotes, “Kids who grow kale, eat kale.” My two kids have become so much more interested in trying new foods since engaging with the garden and farm. Further, they are both increasingly impassioned about taking care of our planet.
The past few months we have had a handful of volunteer days with an amazing turn out. People of all ages came together from Santa Monica, Venice and even Long Beach. This email is a personal invitation and encouragement for you and your family. Come and join us Saturday, May 8th. You can come the whole time or just stop by between10am-4pm. We are Covid safe with masks and distance. Pull me aside and come say hello. We are so very excited to have you be a part of this groundbreaking project.
With excitement and gratitude,
Jodi Strock