Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County is offering a free Youth Engagement Program at Harvest Solutions Farm in Irvine, inviting educators to bring students in grades 3 through 12 for a unique service-learning experience.
The program combines practical farm work with educational lessons, providing students with a direct look at the journey of food from the field to the community. During their visits, students may participate in activities such as planting, weeding, or harvesting produce. These hands-on tasks are integrated with discussions and learning about science, agriculture, sustainability, food systems, and the issue of food insecurity. The experience is designed to illustrate how locally grown food directly supports Orange County residents.
Harvest Solutions Farm, where the program takes place, is a 40-acre agricultural partnership. This collaborative effort involves Second Harvest, the University of California South Coast Research and Extension Center, and Solutions for Urban Agriculture. Since its first planting in 2021, the farm has yielded a substantial amount of fresh produce, harvesting more than 9 million pounds to date. This produce has been distributed to Orange County residents facing food insecurity, highlighting the farm's dual role in education and community support.
For educators, the program offers an opportunity to extend classroom lessons into a real-world setting. It allows students to make tangible connections between the origins of food, the operations of agricultural systems, and the ways local organizations address community needs. The program can deepen students' understanding of where their food comes from and the broader context of food distribution.
Hannah Ortiz, agriculture manager for Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, underscored the significance of this direct engagement. She stated, “There’s something special about watching students make the connection between the food growing in the fields and the needs of their own community.” Ortiz expressed a hope that participants would gain new knowledge about agriculture and food systems, along with recognizing their potential role in addressing food insecurity within Orange County.
Programs are available for school groups on Tuesdays through Fridays, with typical visits lasting two to three hours. Participation in the Youth Engagement Program is free for all Orange County schools. To further support access, limited transportation assistance may also be available for interested groups.
Educators interested in bringing their students to Harvest Solutions Farm can learn more about the program and submit an interest request by filling out the online interest form provided by Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.
