Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll Highlights Watertown Farm-to-School Program During Local Visit

WATERTOWN – Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll visited Watertown on Thursday to highlight the city’s farm-to-school initiatives, touring a high-tech freight farm and meeting with students and educators involved in year-round food production and sustainability efforts.

Driscoll began her visit at the freight farm located outside the Phillips Administration Building, where she spoke with Watertown High School students enrolled in a high-tech farming course. The freight farm, housed inside a converted shipping container, uses vertical hydroponic growing systems to produce lettuce, kale, herbs and other greens throughout the year.

The visit continued with a press conference at Lowell Elementary School, where students, local officials and state leaders gathered alongside a display of vegetables grown in the freight farm. Driscoll sampled some of the produce and interacted with students involved in garden, composting and culinary programs.

Watertown’s freight farm and broader farm-to-school program received a boost in December, when the district was awarded an $82,946 grant through the Massachusetts FRESH CORP program. The funding supports supplies, training and staffing for the freight farm, and expands related coursework at Watertown High School.

City Manager George Proakis said the program reflects the city’s long-standing investment in sustainability and hands-on learning. School officials noted that Watertown’s farm-to-school efforts span more than a decade and now include gardens at every elementary school and the middle school, along with districtwide composting initiatives.

Students say the program makes classroom concepts more tangible. Gabriella Sosa, a senior at Watertown High School, said working with the freight farm has helped her better understand science and food systems while giving back to the community.

“It’s hands-on learning, and I think that grasps students a lot more than just sitting in a classroom,” Sosa said.

School officials said the freight farm is now fully operational and is expected to produce up to 1,000 heads of lettuce per week at full capacity. Some of the harvest is used in school meals and culinary classes, while early yields have also been donated to the Watertown Community Fridge.

Driscoll said Watertown’s approach could serve as a model for other communities across the state, combining education, sustainability and food access in a single program.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB-xWWqbGfY