Classroom to Critters

 

Farm Friends LLC is collaborating with two area schools to reduce the amount of waste in lunchrooms. In the process, students, teachers and staff are working together to provide healthy food to animals at ten area farms.

 

Goats, pigs, chickens, emus and other critters are benefitting through the Classroom to Critters program. Most importantly, students are learning how to reduce waste, recycle and reuse products. In short, they’re seeing the fruits of their efforts and the farm animals are the grateful beneficiaries.

​

How it works

Instead of throwing away food they haven’t eaten, students, teachers and staff deposit the food into a special bin. Each day, the bin is collected and Amanda delivers the treats to the farms. 

 

Pictures and videos of the animals enjoying the food are posted on the Farm Friends social media pages so that students and teachers can see how they are making a difference.

 

To date, hundreds of pounds of food has gone to the animals…instead of dumpsters. It’s a win-win for students—and for the critters, who look forward to the special snacks. 

 

How it started

In her work as a part-time substitute teacher, Amanda saw firsthand how much good food was being wasted. After two years of planning, the program was launched in 2022 in two pilot schools. Amanda presented a mini assembly in each lunch period in the schools to explain Classroom to Critters.