Bronx Students Explore Farming at Hilltop Hanover Farm

By Blake Jackson

On June 13, 2025, 44 third-grade students from PS 72 in the Bronx stepped out of their classroom for a hands-on learning experience that connected their food education lessons with real-world farming.

The students, taught by educators involved in the Food Education Fellowship program with Pilot Light, visited Hilltop Hanover Farm & Environmental Center, a 187-acre working farm in Westchester County focused on sustainable agriculture and community education.

This visit was made possible through a collaboration between Pilot Light Chefs and the New York Beef Council, funded by the ongoing state partnership with the Iowa Beef Industry Council.

Pilot Light Chef’s mission is to help students make informed food choices by linking classroom lessons to the foods they encounter at school, home, and in their communities.

The two PS 72 teachers are part of Pilot Light’s Food Education Fellowship program, which provides educators from Pre-K to 12th grade with training and resources to integrate food education into their daily teaching. Their participation in the fellowship made this farm visit a natural and enriching extension of their work with students.

During the visit, the students took part in two interactive workshops:

• Sustainability in Agriculture - Here, students learned about the three pillars of sustainability: social, environmental, and economic, and how these relate to farming. Troy Bishopp from the National Grazing Lands Coalition demonstrated mob grazing, teaching the students about pasture health, biological systems, dung beetles, and manure management.
• Farm to Table - Students toured the croplands, harvested fresh ingredients, and then prepared seasonal spring rolls in the farm kitchen. This hands-on cooking session helped them understand the full journey of food, from growing to eating.

“This tour exemplified the power of partnerships in bringing food education to life,” said Chrissy Claudio, Director of Consumer Engagement at the NYBC. “Our goal is to ensure students understand the origins of their food and the people and systems involved in producing it.”

Photo Credit: livingimages