ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — The Lindbergh School District is building a classroom unlike any other in the region — one where the lesson plan includes shovels, seeds and honeybees.
The district’s new agriculture STEM education center, known as the Farmer’s Club, broke ground earlier this year and is on track to open before the end of this school year.
“Welcome to the Farmers Club,” said Melissa Nussbaum, the on-site educator for Lindbergh Schools Farmers Club.
The Farmer’s Club is designed to give students hands-on experience with agriculture — something many of them have never had.
“They’ve never been exposed to agriculture, so we wanted to find a way to show them agriculture, show them where their food comes from and show them all the career opportunities that are associated with it,” Nussbaum said.
Once the facility is up and running, Nussbaum will lead lessons for students from pre-kindergarten through their senior year of high school.
“Our littlest learners, we want their hands in the dirt. We don’t want them to be afraid of bees but learn about pollinators and watch things grow,” Nussbaum said.
Older students are already getting involved in building out the space.
“High schoolers are already working on some projects like building raised garden beds,” Nussbaum said.
Ben Peterson, the Farmer’s Club manager, says the land will keep growing right along with the program.
“Later on, we’re going to continue developing the land with the installation [of] an orchard, row crops coming in and any other avenues the students would like to see,” Peterson said.
Peterson says the goal goes beyond growing vegetables — it’s about growing opportunity.
“Students are our future. If we want to have sustainably grown food, we have to start them young, get their hands in the dirt, and give them a reason to be passionate about agriculture, and show them it’s not just about this — industry has so many opportunities for folks,” Peterson said.
The facility is set to be completed during this school year. By the 2027-2028 school year, lessons will be developed for all grade levels to take part in this agriculture STEM-based education center.
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