T “We’re walking distance to over 2,500 students at 10 local schools.”
HIS AREA OF SOUTHERN California is well known for its agriculture; Ventura County dedicates around 294,000 acres to growing everything from sweet strawberries to leafy salad greens. When the Malloys started Poco Farm, the city of Oxnard occasionally bussed in a few students to
When it came time for the two to settle down, they knew they wanted roots in the valley and a location where Grace could continue merging farming and education. After careful consideration, they found a four-acre plot in the Meiners Oaks area, just three blocks from where Grace had drawn inspiration from Farmer and the Cook. “The second I walked on this land, I thought, ‘Oh, this is exactly what this is. I am going to live here and start a farm-based learning center.’ We’re walking distance to over 2,500 students at 10 local schools,” she says. The newlyweds leased the back two acres to various growers then added chickens, dairy goats, and pigs, encouraging their friends with families to visit the developing Poco Farm. Grace’s prior relationship with Food for Thought meant fourth and fifth graders now had a place to see a small operation in action, and her vision began to crystallize. The number of activities Poco offered — like a summer camp with workshops on canning, ice cream making, and how to keep and milk goats — continued to grow, and the response was overwhelming. “The community just very clearly was like, ‘Yes, yes, more!’” she says.
learn about farming. Poco co-founder and fellow educator Darrell Forthe encouraged the Malloys to convert the business to a nonprofit since they were charging for the access at that time. Grace says that was the quickest path to making the programming free and accessible. As schools nationwide struggle to find funding and teachers for programs that provide real-life farm experience, Poco’s nonprofit status means Ojai Unified School District provides bus service for kids to visit, supporting Poco’s free and local programs. Transportation, Grace says, is the biggest barrier to getting the kids’ boots on the ground in the first place. Once they’re on the property, they’re excited by what they see and
start asking questions. This inquiry-based learning shows them where food comes from and provides an entry point to a healthier lifestyle, especially for kids who are underserved or whose families struggle financially and are left with no choice but to eat less nutritious food.
Opposite and top: A few of the animal mentors on the farm. Some students learn how to milk these goats. Right: Grace with one of the herd.
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ISSUE 02
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