The Denver Public School “Urban Farm” initiative began in fall 2011. We operate two, one-acre farms at Bradley and Schmitt Elementary Schools that supply hundreds of pounds of produce for school meals across the district. In 2024, our farms supplied our schools with radishes, turnips, carrots, lunchbox peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, squash and melons.

We have one full-time farmer, Farmer Mike, and one part-time farmer who oversee the Farm Food Safety plan developed through a USDA Farm to School Grant by Colorado State University.  USDA representatives visit each farm site at least once per season to verify compliance with the food safety plan. All farm sites are irrigated with potable city water using drip irrigation to minimize water usage.

Come support our work to grow vegetables for Denver students by helping at one of our Farm Volunteer Days. Contact Adam Fisher for more information.

About Farmer Mike

Mike Fedison has been farming, gardening, and teaching about horticulture since he was bitten by the "gardening bug" in 2001. Most recently, he was the horticulture instructor at Pickens Technical College in Aurora, CO. Prior to that he managed several vegetable farms, and taught agriculture as far away as the Republic of Palau. Farmer Mike joined DPS in 2023 to help manage the farms at Schmitt Elementary and Bradley International School for Food and Nutrition Services, and now helps to grow some of the amazing food served by DPS.