Pizza Farm: Connecting Urban Youth with Georgia’s Agriculture and Good Nutrition

Fourth and fifth grade students from Metro-Atlanta have the opportunity to attend Pizza Farm, an event presented by UGA Cooperative Extension Agents and the Georgia Department of Agriculture at the Georgia State Farmers Market in Atlanta. This event provides urban youth an opportunity to learn about good health, nutrition and Georgia’s agricultural commodities that go into a widely popular meal.

Pizza Farm: Connecting Urban Youth with Georgia's Agriculture and Good Nutrition

The Pizza Farm objectives are to:

  • expose urban youth to Georgia’s agricultural commodities and
  • to show students how physical activity and a healthy diet play a role in a healthy lifestyle.

The Cooperative Extension Metro Collaborative (Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, and Clayton counties) invite groups of urban youth to visit the Pizza Farm. Nearly 60 volunteers and Extension agents from 20 North Georgia counties contribute to the success of this interactive educational event.

Pizza Farm Stations

The multi-station event connects the parts of a pizza to Georgia Agriculture.

  • A station focuses on physical activity, and a foundation for good nutrition.
  • A station connects wheat to dough, and a cow to milk and cheese.
  • A station focuses on pizza toppings, exposing the student to herbs, vegetables, and tomatoes before they are used to make pizza.
  • A station connects cattle, pigs and/or chickens to commonly used meat toppings (sausage, pepperoni and chicken).
  • A station assesses what knowledge the touring group retained.

At the conclusion of the hour and a half tour, each participant receives a pizza lunch along with dessert and a brochure designed for the parental guardian concerning the educational components of the event.

To date, 1,727 students and teachers have enjoyed the Pizza Farm. Evaluations revealed that many students were able to identify the stations and describe their relationship to agriculture. Teachers expressed their excitement about the project and how they would incorporate the information into other subject areas. State Senator Valencia Seay of Clayton County said she was “excited to have this educational opportunity at the State Farmers Market.”

For more information contact bhorne@uga.edu.