The Skaggs Catholic Center has launched a campuswide Farm-to-Table initiative in Draper. The project began with a community workday on Oct. 10, where students and parents gathered to spread mulch and build planting beds on a vacant one-acre lot located across from the campus.
The initiative was proposed approximately one year ago by St. John the Baptist Middle School teacher Sydney Johnson and former middle school principal Vanessa Jacobs. The land, which is owned by the campus, previously contained a home that had been unused for about five years. While the lot was originally zoned for residential housing, Draper City approved a temporary zoning license for educational use. This allows for a project intended to span at least the next 20 years.
Johnson, who holds a master’s degree in learning experience design and educational technology, envisions the garden providing produce directly to three schools’ cafeterias. The plan starts with the salad bar and aims to eventually expand to daily cooked meals. Johnson stated that students will plant all the seedlings from start to finish to help them learn where their food comes from and feel connected to the garden.
The garden is intended to serve as an outdoor classroom for various grade levels. In Johnson’s seventh- and eighth-grade Food and You class, students will manage the garden from seedling to harvest while studying food systems, physical health, and environmental impact. Sixth-grade biology classes will use dedicated beds for soil analysis, nutrient tracking, and nitrogen experiments. Seventh-grade Earth and space science classes will study sediment levels and host an annual Earth Day project. Additionally, art students will craft decorative pieces and row indicators, while English classes will use the space for reflective writing.
To assist with the setup, Johnson secured a $7,000 grant from the Captain Planet Foundation. This funding provided supplies from Home Depot as well as a classroom cooking kit that includes a stove and a Vitamix. Organizers plan to host bi-weekly Saturday volunteer workdays for parents and local parish members, offering fresh produce in exchange for labor. Nearby neighbors were notified of the project via letter and were invited to participate.
With initial plot preparation complete, the next phase involves winter soil protection. Over the coming weeks, organizers will test and potentially plant cover crops, such as clover, winter rye, oats, and field peas, to protect the soil and allow students to study nitrogen fixation. Spring plantings are expected to include lettuce, beets, radishes, carrots, peas, and brassicas, followed by summer crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and giant pumpkins.
