Posted
February 13, 2025
As the cold settles over Northern Ohio, a new science course is sprouting up on campus! Led by faculty member and Campus Farm Coordinator Lisa Hardin, Introduction to Urban Agriculture is a new, innovative, and interdisciplinary class that combines sustainable farming and scientific inquiry.
Launching in the fall, the semester-long class will give students in grades 9–12 agricultural knowledge and hands-on urban farming skills that meet both campus and community needs. Hardin, who has taught at St. Edward since 2001, also moderates FarmSTED, the student-led gardening club. Now in its fourth year, FarmSTED has become a vital outreach effort, providing eggs, honey, and fresh produce to Lakewood residents facing food insecurity—a fulfillment of Hardin’s longtime passion for sustainable farming.
“Right after college, I joined the Peace Corps and found myself in Honduras, working on sustainable farming projects,” Hardin explained. “For two years, I lived by the rhythms of planting and harvesting, and I fell in love with the work. I truly thought it was what I’d do for the rest of my life.”
But in 1998, Hurricane Mitch devastated Central America’s farmlands, forcing Hardin to reconsider her path. Planning only a temporary return to Ohio, she ultimately stayed. “A teaching job opened at St. Ed’s, and since I’d become fluent in Spanish, I took it. Farming took a back seat, but I never let it go—I kept a garden at home, waiting for the right moment to reconnect.”
That moment came a few years ago when four students decided to build a garden for their IB service project. “The students approached me and asked, ‘Would you help us build a garden?’ I remember thinking, I’ve been waiting my whole life for someone to ask me that. Of course, I said yes!”
One of the core principles of Catholic social teaching is care for God's creation. By getting students involved in growing their own food—watching the process from seed to harvest—it encourages them to connect with the land and make more thoughtful choices about how their actions affect the environment.
What began as a small project has grown into a thriving student-led service initiative that, last year alone, provided more than 500 pounds of fresh produce to neighbors in need, along with fresh eggs from our hens and honey from our bees.
FarmSTED is now entering its next phase: a full-scale renovation of its outdoor spaces set for completion this fall and, for the first time, an academic course that brings urban agriculture into the classroom through St. Edward’s hands-on, interdisciplinary IB approach.
Introduction to Urban Agriculture will explore soil science, composting, and plant biology, as well as the evolving landscape of American agriculture. Students will gain hands-on experience in growing and harvesting crops, caring for hens, preparing and selling eggs, and learning the fundamentals of beekeeping and orchard management.
“A key part of the class will help students understand food systems—how food goes from seed to plate,” Hardin said. “Many have never considered where their food comes from or how it’s grown. Throughout the course, we’ll explore how even a small backyard garden can make a real impact.”
IB Coordinator and Academic Dean Nick Kuhar shares, “I can’t imagine a more perfect educator for this role; Mrs. Hardin’s unique combination of experience in urban farming, work ethic, creativity and dedication to robust interdisciplinary teaching is exceptional. Candidly, it’s a course I’d encourage my own sons to take when they are in high school.”
For Hardin, the new course is more than just an opportunity to teach farming—it’s a reflection of the renewal that happens every season, both in the garden and in the classroom. “At this stage in their lives, our boys believe they can do anything, and that energy is contagious,” she said. “Each year, we welcome a new group of students, and just like planting a new season’s crops, we remind them, ‘You matter. You belong here. You’re empowered. You can achieve anything you set your mind to.’ After 23 years of saying that, it starts to sink in, even for me. There’s something truly special about being part of that constant renewal—it’s what makes St. Ed’s such a beautiful place to be.”
