Garden of Health Inc. Food Bank welcomed over 300 5th graders from the Souderton Area School District for an educational field trip to its farm in Hatfield, in which students helped harvest and taste produce, learned how to dry and identify herbs and more. (Courtesy of Almac Group)
The program launches this year at all six district elementary schools and will eventually unfold in three yearlong stages
Almac Group has launched the “Farm to Fork Project,” a multi-phase experiential education and community-building initiative to benefit the Souderton Area School District.
“Farm to Fork” is designed to demonstrate community health and stewardship through hands-on, agricultural and science-based classroom learning that centers on how local food is grown. Adoption into the Souderton Area School District curriculum was initiated by Almac Group and championed in collaboration with the Indian Valley Education Foundation and Garden of Health Food Bank, who will serve as advisors to the program, said an Almac Group press release.
The program launches this year at all six district elementary schools and will eventually unfold in three yearlong stages — Discover, Learn, and Thrive. During these three years, $30,000 in program-enabling extracurriculars will be financially supported by Almac Group.
This inaugural year, “Discover,” has just commenced with an immersive learning and volunteering session at Garden of Health’s Hatfield Farm for all fifth graders. In the future, Almac’s support will expand to in-classroom and outdoor classroom-based growing needs, including “ready to grow kits” for each participating classroom to facilitate and complement the formal curriculum rollout in Fall 2026, said the release.
Almac’s Mark Rohlfing, EMC Principal Tamara Ferlick, Garden of Health Food Bank’s Carol Bauer and third graders gather to launch the “Farm to Fork” program at EMC Elementary’s newly opened outdoor classroom space. (Courtesy of Almac Group)“Farm to Fork was born from our vision to create a meaningful, place-based learning experience here in Souderton that tangibly shows students how food, agricultural science, health and community are interconnected,” said Mark Rohlfing, vice president of operations, Almac Group.
The program is the latest addition to Almac’s long repertoire of pioneering educational, STEM-based enrichment experiences for students in the communities where they operate. In the past three years, the company has reached over 5,000 students through sponsored enrichment experiences in Northern Ireland, the home of the company’s Global Headquarters, said the release.
“We’re proud to build on our global commitment to STEM education through Farm to Fork and look forward to its positive impact over the next three years,” Mark Rohlfing continued.
“Farm to Fork strengthens our science curriculum by connecting hands-on learning to real-world purpose,” said Katie Kennedy-Reilly, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, and Technology K-12. “Through this program, students explore the relationship between food, health, and community in ways that nurture curiosity, compassion, and a sense of belonging. It reflects our commitment to whole-child learning and to helping students see themselves as innovators and stewards of the future.”
“By planting the seeds of curiosity early, we are nurturing the next generation of community leaders,” said Ruth Potter, executive director of the Indian Valley Education Foundation. “This program is a shining example of what’s possible for our children when industry, nonprofits, and schools work together.”
