Hope for our environment can feel uncertain right now. But when we spend time with the young people in our programs, we see something different. We see energy. Enthusiasm. Curiosity. An eagerness to care for the natural world that reminds us what environmental stewardship looks like, even at the youngest ages.

4,144 Youth, Hands-On Learning

This year, we provided hands-on garden, farm, and wetland-based learning to 4,144 youth across King County, ages 1-18. They came to us through summer camps, after-school programs, field trips, service learning projects, mobile classrooms and school partnerships. They harvested crops, tasted new plants, cooked dishes, studied pollinators and built compost piles.

Breaking Down Barriers with Scholarships

Thanks to generous support from Foundry10, we offered 55 summer camp scholarships totaling $20,919 — the most we’ve ever awarded and a 26% increase from last year. These scholarships opened doors. More kids got to dig in the dirt, discover where food comes from, and connect with nature in ways that stick with them.

Starting Early: Farm to Preschool

Through our Farm to Preschool program in partnership with the City of Seattle Human Services Department, we reached 1,797 preschool students ages 3–5. We prioritized preschools serving BIPOC families and families living on low incomes.

Our educators brought garden, cooking, and nutrition lessons right to the classroom. These lessons work hand-in-hand with the Good Food Bags our Market Team distributes to families. Together, the programs ensure children and their families get both learning and fresh, locally grown produce.

Building Confidence, Belonging and Understanding

Across all our youth programs, our educators create fun, inclusive, engaging lessons. We draw from young people’s existing knowledge and help them make connections between the garden and the farm, their communities and the world at large.

These experiences do more than teach kids about plants. They cultivate confidence. They create belonging. They build a lifelong relationship with our food system and the natural world. That’s the future we’re growing.