Curiosity fuels learning at a young age, something that one Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District campus has found out in spades, all while aiding student and community environmentalism.
During the 2021-22 school year, Will Rogers Learning Academy introduced a regenerative farm on the corner of 16th and Maple Street, serving as one of the first such working farms on a school campus in the Los Angeles area. The farm serves as both hubs for learning for Will Rogers students and as a local food hub for Santa Monica residents.
The expansion to the Will Rogers campus began as a collaboration between local parents and farmers, who had the idea of creating an "outdoor classroom" where students can apply knowledge from courses in a real-world setting. The role of head farmer for the project is in the hands of "Farmer Mark," Mark Abraham, who also works as a farmer for Grant Elementary School.
"I want to express how happy I am that the farm has been received by so many … I have poured my heart and every available resource into the farm for over two and a half years, sacrificing my own personal time on the weekends every weekend to advance the mission of the farm, to help build a space that students, families and the greater community can access, enjoy success early on, and have it stand out as a model in the community," Farmer Mark stated.
The farm is a model of "regenerative agriculture," a system that works to sequester carbon, build biodiversity and create resistant farms in the face of drought and natural disasters. Will Rogers students are incorporated in practices like cover crops, tree intercropping, compost from the school’s food scraps, and the planting of pollinator flowers that are drought-resistant.
"Our farm is a place where children engage in math, science and other subjects, through firsthand experience working on the farm," Will Rogers Principal Lila Daruty said at a recent meeting of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education. "Many families … join us on the farm, and there is so much to do and learn there."
During the early goings of the 2023-24 school year, the farm has attracted the attention of more people than ever, gaining quite a crowd for the school’s fall festival. Along with a food market from outside vendors, locals were able to trek through the farm which features three native plant gardens, a reflection garden, a dwarf fruit tree orchard, a composting station and an outdoor classroom.
Will Rogers also hosts family farming and beautification days on Saturday mornings, a chance for parents to become involved with the upkeep of the area and see what their children have been learning. At the latest beautification day on Nov. 4, volunteers organized the farm’s tool shed, planted succulents, and installed medallions decorated by Will Rogers students on the farm’s gate.
