Farm-to-Table
OSB's Farm-to-Table program gives students hands-on opportunities to learn where food comes from, how it grows and how nutritious choices support everyday health.
Through gardening, harvesting, food preparation and other practical experiences, students connect classroom learning with the food grown across OSB’s campus.
Learning From Seed to Table
Students take part in each stage of the process, building practical skills and a deeper understanding of food along the way.
Plant
Students begin by planting seeds and young plants while exploring where food comes from and what plants need to thrive.
Grow
As plants develop, students help water, tend and care for them while building environmental awareness, sensory skills and responsibility.
Harvest
When crops are ready, students take part in harvesting fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs while practicing fine and gross motor skills and learning how food moves from garden to table.
Prepare & Taste
When crops are ready, students take part in harvesting fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs while practicing fine and gross motor skills and learning how food moves from garden to table.
Growing Across the OSB Campus
What began as a collection of raised garden beds has grown into a campus-wide program.
OSB’s Farm-to-Table resources include:
- Raised garden beds
- An expanding garden near the Biddle Elementary building
- A nearly 60-tree orchard
- Indoor growing space within the M. Christine Murphy Horticulture Education Center
OSB’s orchard is one of the largest school orchards in Philadelphia and provides students with opportunities to learn about fruit trees, seasonal growth, harvesting and care.
The climate-controlled greenhouse allows planting and growing activities to continue throughout the year, extending learning beyond the traditional outdoor growing season.
Skills for Everyday Life and Future Employment
Farm-to-Table activities provide meaningful ways for students to practice skills they can use at home, in the community and in future employment settings.
Students may build experience in:
- Planting and harvesting
- Sorting and organizing produce
- Following multi-step directions
- Using adapted gardening and kitchen tools
- Food preparation and kitchen safety
- Working independently and as part of a team
- Completing tasks connected to agriculture, food service and hospitality
Instruction is adapted to support each student’s access, communication and mobility needs.
Supporting Healthy Choices
The Farm-to-Table program introduces students to fruits, vegetables and other foods they may not have experienced before.
By touching, smelling, tasting and preparing fresh produce, students can explore food in a supportive and accessible environment. These experiences help build familiarity while strengthening students’ understanding of nutrition and healthy eating.
The program also emphasizes the value of locally grown food and the environmental benefits of reducing the distance food travels from the farm to the table.
Growing a More Sustainable Community
Farm-to-Table supports OSB’s broader commitment to environmental stewardship.
By growing food on campus, supporting local agriculture and teaching students how food systems work, the program helps:
- Reduce environmental impact
- Strengthen connections with local farms and organizations
- Improve and care for the campus environment
- Encourage responsible use of natural resources
- Build awareness of sustainable food practices
Students see firsthand how thoughtful choices about food, land and resources can positively affect their school and community.
Explore Horticulture at OSB
OSB’s horticulture program gives students year-round opportunities to care for plants, explore nature and build educational, physical, emotional and vocational skills in an accessible environment.
Community Partnerships
OSB’s Farm-to-Table program has grown through collaboration with organizations that share our commitment to agriculture, education, sustainability and accessible learning.
Past and current collaborators have included:
- Philadelphia Orchard Project
- Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
- Penn State Extension
- Elwyn
- Easterseals
- Green Mountain Energy
- Philadelphia Water Department Watershed Program
- 4-H
- Greener Partners
- Free Library of Philadelphia’s Culinary Literacy Center
- Associated Services for the Blind
These partnerships have supported educational programming, garden development, professional expertise and new ways for students to participate in agriculture and food education.
Support Farm-to-Table at OSB
Community support helps OSB maintain its orchard and gardens, purchase accessible tools, expand food education and create additional hands-on learning opportunities for students.
To learn more about supporting the Farm-to-Table program, contact the OSB Development Office at 215-877-0313, ext. 264.
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