Mayor Don Walters is proud to announce a new partnership between the City of Cuyahoga Falls, the Cuyahoga Falls High School Fresh Farm class, and The Workz on the Riverfront. Through the partnership, the Fresh Farm is now growing microgreens, herbs, and various other crops during the winter months in the Cuyahoga Falls High School’s greenhouse that are sold to The Workz, which will be featured in their menu items. The city’s Neighborhood Excellence, Communications, and Community Outreach department will be working with the Fresh Farm program by speaking to the class on sustainability and environmentalism and aiding in the eventual expansion of this pilot program.
“This innovative partnership represents a new way of bringing our schools, local businesses, and government to work together on a project that benefits the community as a whole,” stated Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Walters. “The agriculture students have been benefiting our local food pantries for many years, and this is an exciting learning opportunity for them as they begin to pilot the sales of their products to local entities.”
"We are very excited to partner with the high school students to provide an outlet for their hard work,” said Kim Green, Director of Food and Beverage at The Workz. “We have created a BBQ chicken salad as a special that highlights the use of their delicious microgreens and look forward to adding many more items to our menu as they grow more over the winter."
“Our students grow, harvest, and sell the microgreens to The Workz, which is a great way for them to see the possibilities for careers in the green industry and for them to be exposed to various types of growing techniques,” commented Urban Agriculture teacher Steve McIntosh.
“The profits of the sales will go right back into the program to continue the class' mission of providing fresh, nutritious produce to those in need. The students and teachers of Intro to Urban Agriculture can't wait to see what The Workz has in store for their microgreens!"
The Fresh Farm is managed by the Urban Agriculture class taught by Cuyahoga Falls High School teachers Steve McIntosh and Steve Newlon. There are roughly 40 students that are enrolled in the class. The Fresh Farm has had incredible success over the years, donating thousands of pounds of produce to local pantries such as Good Neighbor and the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank. In 2021, they recorded a new record of over 3,000 pounds donated.
By purchasing produce from Fresh Farm, The Workz is able to supplement their food inventory with produce that is locally grown by local students in the heart of the city. Agriculture students benefit by being able to take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn about business through their experiences of conducting market research and hands-on learning with a local business. Additionally, the partnership will be collaborating with additional small businesses and organizations to bring opportunities and resources to the students in the Urban Agriculture class, such as Akron Honey, Lele’s Leaf & Vine, Let’s Grow Akron, Moon Farm, and the Summit Soil and Water Conservation District.