Farm to School Aid

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Sharon Vanorny

Dan Walkner on stage.

Dan Walkner

This cleverly named event is a fundraiser for Rooted’s youth gardening education programs (the funding of which was recently upended by the current presidential administration), featuring activities for kids, food vendors, and an unimpeachable, eclectic lineup of local music: Tani Diakite & the Afrofunkstars, Free Dirt, Cris Plata, and the Dan Walkner Band with guest Teresa Marie (of People Brothers Band). Find more info and an RSVP form at rootedwi.org.

media release: Celebrate the unofficial start to summer at Farm to School Aid, a family-friendly music fundraiser with food vendors, kids’ activities and music from local bands:  

2:00-3:00 - Cris Plata duo

3:30-4:30 - Tani Diakite & the Afrofunkstars 

5:00-6:00 - Free Dirt

6:30-8:00 - Dan Walkner Band

Rooted’s Farm to School programming provides hands-in-the-dirt garden education for thousands of students annually and now, more than ever, we need support from our community to help us be able to continue this important work. All proceeds from Farm to School Aid will directly benefit our Gardener-in-Residence program in partnership with Madison Metropolitan School District.

RSVP for Farm to School Aid: https://forms.monday.com/forms/fa2074e3280e9fdfc6809ff28fe82a38?r=use1

Donate to support Farm to School programming: https://givebutter.com/farmtoschool

How should I get there?

The music festival is at 502 Troy Drive, Madison WI 53704

If you can bike or bus we love that! Troy Gardens is on Madison Metro line B. 

If you plan to drive, you can park on the street or in the Mendota Elementary parking lot nearby.

Can I bring my kids? 

Yes! This is a family friendly event, with kids activities and games. Guided craft activities will be led by the Memorial High School Sewing & Craft Club and Rooted farm to school educators between 2:00-5:00.

What about my dog? 

We’re asking people to leave their doggies at home. 

Will there be food? 

You bet! We have three food trucks serving up food throughout the event: 

Cafe Costa Rica

M & J Jamaican Kitch’n

REAP food truck featuring kid-grown produce

There will also be dirt cup brownies and white chocolate lemon bars from Graze.

Will there be beverages? 

We will be selling beer and water. 

The food trucks also have a fun selection of NA bevs. 

Will there be merch?

Yes! We will be selling t-shirts, tank tops, kids shirts, hats, bandanas, totes, and more at the event.

Is there an ATM? 

Nope! Most everything will have an option to use a card, but if you prefer cash, you’ll need to grab that ahead of time. 

Tag us on social media! 

We'd love to see the photos you take at the event! Tag us at @rootedwi with the hashtag #farmtoschoolaid

Why is this so important again? 

Rooted currently maintains 14 school gardens at schools across Madison. We provide the program at the lowest possible rate for schools, who are already burdened with tight budgets for extracurricular programming. Rooted subsidizes the cost further for schools with the highest economic need. 

In February we learned that the 2025 USDA Patrick Leahy Farm to School grant was cancelled, funding we were expecting to receive (as we have in past years). Just 6 weeks later, our Americorps Farm to School funding was cut without notice.

To keep our programming accessible and available for Madison schools, we need community support. All money raised through Farm to School Aid goes directly to fund our work in school gardens. With your help, we can keep Madison School Gardens Growing.