Arkansas School Gardens Earn Statewide Recognition
Arkansas schools that build sustainable gardens into lessons can earn state recognition and prize money, as one district did this month.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Healthy Food
Live Poll
Do you think your local schools are doing enough to teach kids about growing food?
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture named Yellville-Summit Schools a winner in its Garden of the Year contest, which also awarded the district $1,000 in the Champion of Garden Sustainability category. The recognition came during Arkansas Farm to School Month, when schools across the state highlighted their gardens and farm-based activities.
Why it matters
For Arkansas families, the contest shows how school gardens can connect students with fresh produce and hands-on learning about where food comes from. The recognition rewards schools that build gardens into the curriculum and keep them running over time.
The recognition comes from a state agency contest that scores applications on defined goals, garden-based learning in the curriculum, community involvement, use of harvested produce, and long-term sustainability. The announcement reports the $1,000 award but does not publish participation counts or outcome measures for the gardens.
The players
Arkansas Department of Agriculture
The state agency that oversees agricultural programs and runs the Garden of the Year contest, which supports farm to school efforts across Arkansas.
Yellville-Summit Schools
The Arkansas school district recognized in the Garden of the Year contest for its garden development and sustainability work.
Farm Credit
The lender that sponsors the Garden of the Year contest as part of its support for agriculture in Arkansas.
The details
Applications were judged on how well schools defined their garden goals, whether garden-based learning was built into classroom lessons, how much the community took part, how harvested produce was used, and whether the garden could be maintained over the long term. The Champion of Garden Sustainability category places particular weight on that last point, rewarding plans that keep a garden productive after its first season. Schools that score well typically show that students, families, and local partners are all part of the effort.
Timeline
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture announced the Yellville-Summit win on November 5, 2026.
The recognition took place during Arkansas Farm to School Month in November 2026.
Health Landscape
Arkansas Farm to School Month gives schools a statewide occasion to showcase gardens and farm activities that bring produce into daily learning. The Garden of the Year contest adds a formal recognition step that rewards schools for building gardens meant to last beyond a single season.
Families with school-age children may notice more garden-based lessons and fresh produce in their local schools as programs like this expand. Talking with your child's teacher or school nutrition staff is a practical way to learn whether a school garden or farm to school program is available.
The takeaway
School gardens can turn fresh produce into a regular part of learning, and recognition programs like this one encourage schools to keep them going. If your child's school runs a garden or farm to school effort, ask how students can take part and how families can support it.
Further reading
For more on eating well and growing food, explore our Healthy Food coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KTLO.
Live Poll
Do you think your local schools are doing enough to teach kids about growing food?
