School Gardens
At Snipes Farm and Education Center, we believe gardens grow more than just food—they nurture curiosity, community, and resilience.
Our garden partnerships with local schools and the Bucks County Emergency Homeless Shelter have been a central focus for the last 13 years, with the goal of connecting children with learning outside of the traditional classroom setting.
Fallsington Elementary
Our partnership with Fallsington Elementary is living proof that planting seeds can spark lifelong learning. Garden Educators work side by side with teachers and students, guiding them through planting, tending, and harvesting fresh produce.
What began as two modest garden beds has flourished into a thriving “learning garden area,” complete with picnic tables, whiteboards, and a large, colorful mural, made possible through other community partnerships like the Bucks County Technical High School.
“It’s become an outdoor classroom… Being outside benefits students’ social-emotional health, and learning to grow fruits and vegetables at a young age is so valuable.”
Vinny Paola
Principal
“Harvesting food is always a big draw,”
Ed Obert-Thorn
Teacher
“We are educating the future stewards of our planet… Knowing how food grows and that it comes from the soil will help them to understand the importance of healthy soil, clean water, and air.”
Victoria Lautsbaugh
Garden Educator
Valley Day School
By bringing textbook concepts to life, Valley Day School helps students see the world in new and transformative ways. Over time, the school’s garden has grown into an outdoor classroom complete with a gazebo and shaded spaces for learning and fresh-air breaks.
Sometimes, students even leave at the end of the day with fresh carrots, radishes, or green beans, bringing a piece of the garden home and extending the learning to their families.
This garden was a “weedy mess in the spring but we have gotten a grip on it,” said Snipes Garden Educator Victoria Lautsbaugh. “It has been our most productive garden. The older students are capable of real work and teacher Mahogany Broughton brings them all out to the garden as often as possible”.
“They don’t really have access to that green space in their normal day-to-day environment… So one of our goals as a school is to make sure our students receive a truly well-rounded education.”
Sean Matthews
Principal
“It’s about opening our students’ minds and giving them awareness of other options… From an academic standpoint, it’s powerful. Our students see how the science and biology they study in the classroom have real-world applications.”
Sean Matthews
Principal