Lopez Island Farm Education Program

The mission of the L.I.F.E. (Lopez Island Farm Education) Program at the Lopez School is to create sustainable local community-based organic farming & gardening experiences that are wholly integrated into the Lopez Island School District K-12 curriculum & cafeteria to promote individual, community and environmental health.

The L.I.F.E. Program helps students build an appreciation for nature, nutrition, community, land stewardship, and the environment.

Garden classes are hands on and are usually outside in the on-site gardens, at the school's off-site garden, or at local farms. The school garden is adjacent to the playground, so students interact with it daily and are welcome to care for and forage from their garden areas during recess.

Our cafeteria is built on these principles: All children deserve safe, nutritious, delicious food. Well-nourished children are better able to learn. Positive childhood eating habits affect lifetime health. Healthy children are the foundation of a healthy society. 

Critical to the program’s success is the involvement of all members of the school community, from the superintendent and teachers to the kitchen staff and groundskeepers, in addition to community volunteers, parents and families, and local organizations.