By Yaza Sarieh
Yaza Sarieh is the Community Collaborations Coordinator at Georgia Organics.
pc: Hall County School Nutrition
At Georgia Organics, we believe that growing a healthier future for Georgia’s children starts with fresh, local food and hands-on learning. That belief inspired the launch of our Farm to School Innovation Mini Grant: an initiative that supports our broader mission to grow a network of advocates who champion organic agriculture and invest in sustainable, community-rooted food systems.
Through a competitive selection process, our 2024 grant awards prioritized projects that:
Increase access to local, fresh, organically grown food;
Provide culturally responsive food and nutrition education;
Foster organic and sustainability-focused garden education;
Expand local food procurement; and/or
Support Certified Organic Georgia farmers in other ways.
Hall County Schools exemplify these priorities in action. With support from the Farm to School Innovation Mini Grant, three schools in the district—Friendship Elementary, Sugar Hill Elementary, and Wauka Mountain Elementary— revitalized school gardens, engaged in sustainability efforts, and deepened their connection to locally produced food, impacting over 1,200 students.
At Friendship Elementary, staff have been building a school farm from the ground up. A new chicken coop, built in partnership with a local Eagle Scout, supports agricultural education, composting, and animal husbandry. One of the long-term goals for this space includes launching a student-run farmers market, empowering students with real-world entrepreneurship skills, and a deeper understanding of where their food comes from.
pc: Courtesy of Hall County School Nutrition
At Sugar Hill Elementary, educators transformed an overgrown greenhouse into a thriving learning environment. With guidance from the district’s agribusiness specialist and a local Master Gardener, the team prepared the garden beds and worked with local distributors to procure seeds and materials, laying a foundation for sustainable growth and local food integration. The students shared the produce they grew with their families as well as school staff.
pc: Courtesy of Hall County School Nutrition
Wauka Mountain Elementary piloted a cafeteria composting program to reduce food waste and enrich garden soil. They also installed a water feature to attract pollinators and improve garden biodiversity. Their student-led garden club took ownership of the garden with presentations and active involvement in planning and planting.
pc: Courtesy of Hall County School Nutrition
In addition to growing food, Hall County has been growing relationships with local farms, produce distributors like Royal and Linear Produce, and community volunteers. The district has recognized the need to bridge the gap between schools and farmers who aren’t yet affiliated with produce organizations, reinforcing their commitment to expanding local procurement and making fresh, Georgia-grown food more accessible to students. Their list of local farms and other sources of local food has grown from just two in 2023-2024 to 13 in 2024-2025!
From compost bins to chicken coops, these projects show just how much can grow when you invest in local food, student leadership, and sustainable agriculture education. We’re proud to support Hall County through the Farm to School Innovation Mini Grant, and we’re excited to watch their farm to school program continue to blossom.
To learn more about Hall County Schools’ Nutrition Department, visit foodservices.hallco.org/web/ or follow them on Facebook (facebook.com/hallcountyschoolnutrition) and Instagram (@hallcountyschoolnutrition).
To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit georgiaorganics.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.