Pizza Farmer
Session title: The Original Pizza Farmer -- Luncheon speaker
Speaker: Darren Schmall
Date/Time: Saturday, April 21, 2001. Noon - 1:15.
Reported by: Katie Clark, Purdue University
Estimated attendance: 100.
Amy Paster introduced our luncheon speaker, Darren Schmall, "The Pizza Farmer", who certainly looked the part -- he came decked out in his farmer-duds, including a large cowboy hat and boots. After joking that we were the "noisiest group of librarians" he'd ever met, Darren explained the mission and passion that led him to develop the Pizza Farm.
The Pizza Farm
Schmall said he came up with the idea after making presentations to schools. "I was struggling to come up with a way to help kids become interested in agriculture. The schools wanted me to come out to talk about agriculture to the students, but I quickly saw that they were not interested. During one class, he asked a group of students what their favorite food was and they all said "Pizza!" So he had the students dissect a pizza, figuring out what all the ingredients were and where they came from. The students all got involved and excited, so Schmall realized he was onto something. Before he could get them interested in agriculture, he had to get their attention in a fun way, and pizza did it.
From that class came the inspiration to create a "Pizza Farm" where all the ingredients of a pizza could be grown (or grazed) and visited by students who perhaps have never stepped foot on a farm before.
The original Pizza Farm is located on the grounds of the Madera County Fairground, in Fresno, California. It is a circular plot of land (120 feet in diameter) that is divided into eight quadrants, just like a pizza! In the various "slices" of the pizza visitors will find tomatoes, peppers, corn, garlic, onions, herbs (basil, oregano, etc.), wheat (to make the crust), cows (milk for cheese), hogs (for pepperoni), etc. Schmall joked that about the only ingredient not raised on the farm is anchovies, and that's because they have to be planted too deep! (Hmm, I wonder how they raise the mushrooms?!)
Schmall worked to refine the idea for about two years, developing school materials to dovetail with visits to his farm. He also worked with classroom teachers to make sure the Pizza Farm could be incorporated into the school curriculum. The farm attracts about 10,000 visitors a year, mostly students from the surrounding Central Valley counties. When the students visit, they have an opportunity to "get down and dirty," getting involved in what ever is going on at the farm during the season they visit -- e.g., planting, weeding, harvesting, feeding the animals, irrigating, getting rid of pests, and so forth. As they leave the Farm, all the students are given a plant to take home, so they can start their own Pizza Farm! The main thing is to "experience agriculture!" FFA and 4-H students often volunteer to work at the Farm, seeing it as an opportunity to teach and spread the word about agriculture. Even senior citizens often enjoy visiting the farm -- getting back to their roots, so to speak!
Of course, after visiting the Pizza Farm, everyone gets to eat pizza! Pizza Hut, a Pizza Farm partner, is happy to showcase the nutritional benefits of pizza!
Schmall commented that the Pizza Farm is a good way to deal with educating non-farmers about the impact of agriculture in their lives. Many don't realize it, but besides food, farmers "grow" jeans, t-shirts, and even footballs [pigskins]! Now that farmers make up only about 2% of the population, Schmall feels it is important to start agricultural education with the kids, who may instruct the adults! He said he overheard one teacher telling his students that the white stuff on sheep is cotton!
Perhaps not immediately obvious, but the Pizza Farm is a source of revenue for Schmall. Visitors are charged admission ($3-5) and, with about 10,000 visitors per year, the Pizza Farm is a source of considerable revenue. In fact, Schmall has franchised the Pizza Farm idea, so one may be appearing in your neighborhood, soon! Schmall is also propagating other agri-tourism ideas too. For example, he has a pumpkin patch, which draws over 20,000 visitors a year and a Bulldogs CornMaize. He sees agri-tourism as a real source of potential revenue -- neither the Pizza Farm nor the corn mazes take much space or time, but they can provide a great source of supplemental income to the farmer.
Fresno Bulldog Cornfield Maize, operated by the Pizza Farmer.
The Pizza Farm operates from March 20th (National Agriculture Day) through October 31st. It is open by appointment, only. For more information about the Pizza Farm, please visit their website: http://www.pizzafarm.com/. For a direct link to the Pizza Farm's instructional materials, go to http://www.pizzafarm.org/pizza_menu.html, which includes lesson plans, recipes, activities, links to pizza-ingredient producers, and more.
Original conference site design by Karen Stanley Grigg adapted by Carla Casler
Updated August 21, 2006