OUR VALUES

We Develop Programs

Written by Mike McMahon, Founder of Urban Farming Education

At Urban Farming Education (UFE), our brand is built on action. We don’t just talk about sustainability, education, and food security—we implement bold, scalable solutions that transform communities. Every initiative we lead, every partnership we forge, and every program we develop is rooted in education, collaboration, and measurable impact. Our guiding principles define how we operate, ensuring that our work is effective, datadriven, and community-centered. Whether through our PreK-12 climate-smart curriculum, regenerative food systems, or global partnerships, we create solutions that are both locally adaptive and globally relevant. This section outlines the framework that drives our impact—from the way we design programs to how we measure success—ensuring that UFE remains a trusted, results-driven leader in sustainability, STEM education, and food sovereignty.

Each garden is different in size, scope, and purpose, but the methodology is the same for every garden.The process of developing a program starts with determining the interest level of participants and what they want to accomplish. We have created a workbook to help our clients make important early decisions and walk them through the building process step by step. This guidebook is then used to help the project gardeners follow a road map that is aligned with the goals of their respective organization. We decided that a successful garden would have to have a farmer/gardener and an outspoken advocate of the program. Through trial and error, we also set criteria for each site to include a kitchen and chef. When produce is ready to harvest, it needs to be cleaned, packed, cooled, and ultimately prepped and cooked. Each garden also needs to have people who can enjoy eating the bounty.