In 2016, an idea was sparked when a group of young farmers were looking for a way to give back and the Plano School District was looking for someone to maintain a 14.4-acre plot of land adjacent to Plano High School. The Kendall-Grundy Young Leaders committee sat down with the school district and discussed how they could use the plot to give back to the community. From there, “Farming for the Community” was born.
This year, the Young Leaders Committee donated $4,800 to support local food pantries; $1,000 to support the district’s high school foods classes; and $3,000 to support the Ag in the Classroom, a 4-H school enrichment program. With the remaining funds, the group funded and assembled back-to-school kits from Back 2 School America for every kindergarten student at P.H. Miller School.
Each year, the Young Leaders Committee reaches out to local ag suppliers seeking assistance with the farming project. One of the Young Leaders volunteers to plant, maintain and harvest the crop. Following the harvest, the committee meets with the school administration to discuss how to allocate the funds raised from the harvest. Over the past eight years, more than $50,000 has been raised through Farming for the Community to support area food pantries, ag education and other special projects.
For more information about this partnership, please reach out to the Plano School District Administration Office or the Kendall-Grundy Farm Bureau.
Pictured is Plano High School Principal Jim Seput, who presented a $1,000 check from the Kendall County Young Leaders to Family & Consumer Science teachers (l-r) Kelly Furr, Wendy Smith and Erin Martinez.
Kendall County Community Food Pantry Board Chair Greg Witek (left) accepts the pantry check from Plano School District Superintendent Tony Baker.
A P.H. Miller kindergarten student receives his free backpack from Costco and school supplies donated by the Kendall-Grundy Young Leaders.