Student Farmers has some ambitions goals that are achievable with strength in numbers.
FIVE STAR GOALS
1: Expand the Student Farmers Support network to include a Student Ambassador for high school and one for college in each state as well as recruit Mentors for each state.
2. Develop strategic partnerships with organizations such as:
A) NASA for the Mars Exploration Project to lend insights on the most cost-effective and efficient means to grow food.
B) BigGreen for their on-campus Learning Garden and other programs.
C) Technology Student Association, TSA, for their STEM Competitions and other programs. Student Farmers envisions that many schools may embrace the idea of “Grow Challenge” competitions, where students work on optimizing plant cultivation. Subject to funding Student Farmers hopes to offer meaningful prizes to reward performance, and the prizes could include college scholarships.
D) Local non-profits to help reduce the negative impacts of food deserts
3: Secure volume vendor contracts to reduce the cost of supplies such as grow lights, trays, hemp grow matts, seeds, racks, timers, spray bottle, compostable containers, label stickers, etc.
4: Develop a social media presence to create increased awareness about the opportunities for students to engage in indoor and outdoor farming.
5: Encourage as many students as possible to join Student Farmers from the over 15 million high school students and 18 million college students in the U.S. To reach this goal, Student Farmers is working on outreach that includes connecting with school life science teachers as well as environmental clubs at high schools and colleges. We hope that the students can benefit directly and that some may join Student Farmers to help promote the advantages of home farming to adults ranging from health enthusiasts to senior citizens. The larger impact on the “non” health enthusiasts will hopefully come from overall increased awareness.