Progress report for YENC25-227
Project Information
The ICCSD Farm-to-Future Earth Internship School proposed a comprehensive program to cultivate future leaders in sustainable agriculture. Addressing the global food system's challenges, it offered young adults immersive experiences, including fieldwork at the Johnson County Poor Farm, interactive seminars, and field trips to diverse sustainable agriculture models. The program bridged the gap between education and career exploration, offering dual credits through Kirkwood Community College and completion stipends. It emphasized community engagement through presentations and media. A SARE Grant of $6,000 supported the coordination of trips, stipends, and lunches, aiming to empower a new generation to transform food systems sustainably. In terms of Field Trips, students visited the Iowa City Farmers Market, Kirkwood Community College Farm and the Iowa State Agriculture Careers Fair in Washington County.
The ICCSD Farm-to-Future Earth Internship School was a summer educational program designed to provide students with hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture, local food systems, and community leadership. Hosted primarily at Grow Johnson County (located at the historic Johnson County Poor Farm), the internship combined physical farm work with educational field trips and policy learning.
Key Dates & Schedule
The program sessions occurred on these days:
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June 2025 Dates:
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Monday, June 9th & Tuesday, June 10th
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Saturday, June 14th or 28th: Visit to Iowa City Farmer’s Market and Johnson County Extension Office
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Wednesday, June 18th: Johnson County Food Policy Presentation
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Thursday, June 19th
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Wednesday, June 25th & Thursday, June 26th
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July 2025 Dates:
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Wednesday, July 9th: Field trip to Kirkwood Farm and SunDog Farms
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Thursday, July 10th
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Wednesday, July 16th & Thursday, July 17th
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October 2025:
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Fall Ag Career Fair at Washington County Outreach Center
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Core Activities & Experiences
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Hands-on Farming: Interns worked directly at the Grow Johnson County farm (4811 Melrose Ave, Iowa City). Tasks included planting saplings in the greenhouse, harvesting crops, picking bugs, cutting dead stems, washing bins, and maintaining the grounds regardless of weather conditions.
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Educational Field Trips:
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Kirkwood Community College: Toured agricultural facilities and received program overview for career pathways
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SunDog Farms: Visited on July 9th and learned about sustainable farming. Visited this diverse farm (goats, chickens, dogs) to learn about direct-to-consumer relationships and non-certified farming practices.
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Curriculum Topics learning during the Internship during the 10 day experience:
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Differences between naturally grown and GMO crops.
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Natural pesticide use and food safety procedures.
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Harvesting techniques and crop maintenance.
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The history of the Johnson County Poor Farm (est. 1855) and its role in supporting residents in poverty.
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Outcomes & Benefits
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Academic Credit: Student participants earned Kirkwood Community College credit for the course WBL 200 (1 College Credit / 5 HS credits).
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Financial Compensation: Students received a $200 stipend upon completion of all activities to compensate for clothing, sunscreen, tools, and food.
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Professional Development: Students gained insight into the dedication required for farming, the value of hard work, and the importance of supporting local food economies.
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Networking: Opportunities to connect with local farmers, policy makers (Johnson County Food Policy Council), and agricultural professionals.
Our program provided a dynamic, hands-on learning experience for young adults, immersing them in the principles and practices of sustainable agriculture. Through:
- 10 intensive field days at the JCHPF, participants will gain practical horticultural skills, working alongside experienced mentors to cultivate and harvest crops using sustainable methods. This was completed in July and August of 2025.
- Interactive Seminars foster critical thinking and a deeper understanding of complex topics like modern food systems, social responsibility, and the environmental impact of agriculture.
- 3 Strategic Career field trips expose students to diverse sustainable agriculture models in action, from cutting-edge urban farms to established organizations championing sustainable practices. All three of these field trips were completed successfully.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation summary:
Students provided information about their 10-day internship farm experience in a final presentation to community college personnel, ICCSD teachers, and Farm Staff. See the link below.
Grow Johnson County Internship Final Group Project Final Report
Our district media services produced a video about the experience and posted it on Instagram and Facebook.
In addition, students used reflective journals as part of their college-credit experience to document each day at the farm.
- Series of short videos and/or social media posts
Learning Outcomes
The ICCSD Farm-to-Future Earth Internship delivered a holistic educational experience that merged technical agricultural training with essential workforce development, career exploration, and civic engagement. Participants developed rigorous scientific literacy by managing crop lifecycles and mastering sustainable farming techniques, such as natural pest control and the identification of GMO varieties. Beyond these technical skills, the program instilled professional resilience and a strong work ethic through hands-on, weather-dependent labor, while simultaneously grounding students in the deep historical context of social welfare through the legacy of the Johnson County Poor Farm. Ultimately, this immersive curriculum fostered a generation of career-ready, community-minded leaders who understood the complexities of food policy, local economic systems, and the vital importance of supporting regional agriculture. Based on the students' reflections, the following core learning outcomes emerged during the ICCSD Farm-to-Future Earth Internship.
1. Agricultural & Scientific Literacy
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Sustainable Farming Practices: Students learn to distinguish between naturally grown crops and GMOs, apply natural pesticides, and execute specific harvesting techniques.
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Crop Lifecycle Management: Participants gain hands-on experience in managing plant life from the sapling stage (greenhouse) to full harvest, with an emphasis on crop biology.
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Food Safety & Operations: Interns acquire knowledge of standard food safety procedures and the operational logistics of maintaining a working farm (e.g., washing bins, equipment maintenance).
2. Workplace Readiness & "Soft Skills."
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Resilience & Adaptability: Students learn to perform rigorous physical tasks under varying and sometimes unpleasant weather conditions, building "grit" and professional resilience.
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Work Ethic & Dedication: The program instills an appreciation for labor, teaching students that "hard work does, in fact, pay off" through the tangible results of their farming efforts.
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Team Collaboration: By working in groups on tasks like "picking bugs" or "cutting dead stems," students develop essential teamwork and communication skills required in any workplace.
3. Civic Engagement & Historical Context
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Social Justice & History: Through the Johnson County Poor Farm site (est. 1855), students examined historical systems of support for residents facing poverty and disabilities, linking agriculture to social welfare.
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Policy Awareness: Exposure to the Johnson County Food Policy Council provides insight into how local government and regulations shape the food system.
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Community Systems: Students understand the broader "food system," seeing how farms connect to food banks, markets, and food insecurity initiatives.
4. Career & Economic Awareness
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Local Economic Systems: Visits to diverse operations (like the non-certified farm in Solon) teach students about direct-to-consumer business models and the importance of supporting local economies.
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Career Exploration: Participation in the Fall Iowa State Ag Career Fair and tours of Kirkwood Community College facilities expose students to various post-secondary pathways in agriculture and trades.
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Consumer Responsibility: Even students who do not pursue farming careers leave with a commitment to support local farmers as informed consumers, recognizing the "unfathomable" effort required to produce local produce.
No third party resources used.
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Project Outcomes
The project was a success and, based on Student Feedback, very popular and well-liked by the participants. In the future, we plan on trying to replicate this program for the summer of 2026. We plan to apply for the IOWA STEM BEST grant through the State and recreate the experience every summer, if possible. The grant enabled us to build strong relationships with Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development and the Johnson County Poor Farm. It also showed interest in agricultural careers in our district and prompted us to look into funding to build greenhouses at our middle schools.
Thanks so much for supporting this opportunity for our students! It was more successful than we could have imagined it would be. One thing we found is that it was difficult to have students commit to this experience over the summer, as students and families have busy summers. We had to be flexible to accommodate family vacations and absences.