IDEA Farm Program

OUR MISSION

Welcome! The IDEA CNP Farm Program is comprised of a network of twelve diverse educational farms located in Texas and Louisiana practicing regenerative agricultural  echniques. Our team promotes each student’s connection to the Earth and supports wholistic health and well-being through good nutrition and environmental stewardship. That is why it is our mission to cultivate wholesome food for our school cafeterias, teach responsible stewardship, and ignite the student spirit.

Picture of the members of the IDEA Farm Team in July of 2022

OUR IMPACT

The IDEA Farm Program grows food using sustainable practices and eco-friendly inputs for IDEA Public Schools’ cafeterias. To date, we have grown over 100,000 pounds of produce on our farms, all of which have made their way into hundreds of thousands of meals for students. 

In order to positively change the food system, perceptions about food, and population health in a sustainable way, the Farm Program recognizes the need to teach and empower today’s youth. By participating in every aspect of the food-growing process via a project-based curricula, IDEA Public School students become agents of change in their local and global food systems.

Gardening at Home

Video two in the Gardening at Home video series. This week Deborah Ray from IDEA Edgemere in El Paso shows us how to tell the difference between annuals and perennials and why that matters. Hope you enjoy and don’t forget to subscribe to IDEA Farm Program’s channel on YouTube. If there are any topics you’d like to see, go ahead drop in your suggestions in the comments.

Our Program Principles

  1. Use scientifically validated pedagogical practices that align developmentally with each student  
  2. Facilitate socio-emotional learning opportunities  
  3. Teach and implement sustainable and regenerative farming practices 
  4. Increase wildlife diversity on the farms 
  5. Promote culturally sensitive opportunities for nutrition access and education  
  6. Encourage critical thinking to find local solutions to global issues

MEET our Team

Deborah Ray

CNP Director of Farms IDEA HQ ELPA

Rocio Hernandez

CNP Farm Manager RGV

Stephanie Patillo

CNP Farm Manager SA & TACO

Genna Shaia

CNP Farm Manager ELPA, AUST & EBTR

RGV

Jaime DeAnda

CNP Farmer IDEA Donna

Pricilla Carbajal

CNP Farmer IDEA San Benito

Jordan Roney

CNP Farmer IDEA Elsa

Taylor Snowden

CNP Assistant Farmer IDEA Elsa

San Antonio & Tarrant County

Elva Mendez

CNP Assistant Farmer IDEA Eastside

Hector Rivera

CNP Farmer IDEA Burke

Valerie Reed

CNP Farmer IDEA Achieve

Maria Medina

CNP Assistant Farmer IDEA Achieve

Renea Garcia

CNP Farmer IDEA Monterrey Park

Austin, El Paso & EBTR "TXLA"

Danesha Shepherd

CNP Farmer IDEA Bridge

Denise Garcia

CNP Farmer IDEA Edgemere

Thomas Hernandez

CNP Farmer IDEA Horizon Vista

Carlos Jimenez

CNP Farmer IDEA Rundberg

Coming Soon to the IDEA Achieve Farm!

 

Thanks to a generous donation from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club, during the Fall of 2022 we will launch our first Hydroponic Farm in Tarrant County at IDEA Achieve! This unit will supply 5 acres worth of leafy greens and herbs in a 40-foot shipping container, and will facilitate countless opportunities for the applied learning of STEM in the context of agriculture.