Selma High School students get hands-on experience getting food from farm-to-table

SELMA, Calif. (KFSN) -- At the Selma High School farm, students are running the show.

"We're planting these grape vines, they're going to grow and then next year, when they're ready, we'll harvest them," Junior Hannah Fransen said.

Fransen was one of dozens of students planting four varieties of the table grapes on the school farm recently.

All of them are part of either the ornamental horticulture and floriculture pathway or the Agri-science pathway.

Fransen says she enjoys the time out of the classroom.

"It kind of breaks up the school day. It makes it more interesting. It's not just sitting all day doing nothing. We get to have fun out here on the farm," Fransen said.

Ag Teacher Grace Mendes says the program aims to familiarize students with farming and give them hands-on experience.

"Making sure that they understand how things grow, where their food is coming from. Ultimately, to be able to have job skills at the end of our program so that they can get a job wherever they want and to never go hungry," Mendes said.

Mendes says the students are responsible for pruning, picking, washing and packing the produce.

Nearly all of the food eventually ends up on students' plates throughout the school district.

"We really want kids to be able to see start to finish. That's putting it into the ground, breeding sheep or breeding goats and being able to take the finished product and have it on the plates," Mendes said.

For students like Fransen, all of the hard work is something she's proud to be able to attach her name to for years to come.

"I'll get to drive by and be like, 'I did that. That was me.'" Fransen said.

The ag department has applied for a grant in hopes of building a small storefront to sell their produce to the community.

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