Farmer Trading Cards Come To Schools Across Loudoun County

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Trading cards featuring local farmers are coming to schools across Loudoun County. The trading cards are part of a joint effort between the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development and the school system's nutrition services office.

This is the sixth year of the program, officials said in a news release. This year, students will also receive video messages from the nine featured farmers. Each video will focus on a different educational aspect of farming.

Elizabeth Mills is the school nutrition director for Loudoun County Public Schools. She noted that the trading cards and videos can help inspire students to make healthy choices in their diet.

"Student consumption of produce appears to increase when they know where it was grown or if they’ve met the person who grew it," Mills said. "The personal connection seems to encourage eating healthy."

Buddy Rizer, the executive director of the economic development department, sees the trading cards as a way to build connections between local farmers and the community.

"The farmer trading cards are a great reminder for families across the region that fresh products are back in season at Loudoun farms," Rizer said. "For the farmers, this is a great opportunity to market their products at the start of the growing season and be recognized by the community. For students, it’s an introduction to the profession of farming, featuring heroes they can look up to."

In a news release, officials said this year's lineup of featured farmers is the most diverse group in the program's history. Here's a full list of the "starting nine," as their titles are listed on the trading cards.

• Farmer Sharon, Sweet Piedmont Flowers;
  
• Farmer Elaine, Fields of Athenry;
• Farmer David, Second Spring Farm;
• Farmer Jens-Peter, Living Green Aquaponics & Microgreens;
• Farmer Yung Joon, Green Hills Garden & Nursery;
• Farmer Jim, Mountain View Farm;
• Farmer Vishali, Sprouting Roots Farm;
• Farmer Chris, Lutman Farm;
• Farmer Eden and Lincoln, Rivenwool Animal Rescue

"We’re very proud of the rural industries that are represented on this year’s roster, which really showcases the #LoudounPossible opportunity,” Loudoun Agricultural Business Development Officer John Magistro wrote in a news release. "We have farms that opened during the COVID-19 pandemic and others that have called Loudoun home for generations. Many of these farms are on the cutting edge of innovation and have a bright future in the county."

The trading cards will be distributed to elementary-aged students at public, private, charter, and home schools.

Mills noted that the program is aimed at younger students to introduce healthy habits earlier.

"We’re dealing with a childhood obesity epidemic in this country, and a proven strategy to combat that is through the introduction of nutritious foods at an early age," Mills said. “We’re fortunate to live in a climate that supports such a broad array of produce, protein, and dairy, and LCPS Nutrition Services Program is committed to buying a portion of our produce from local businesses each year."

More information about Loudoun County's farmers and their offerings is available online.