Grower’s Corner: Christine Torosian-Klistoff and the Grow the Legacy Project
Teaching Fairmont Elementary students the importance of water conservation
Exciting initiatives are taking shape in the North Kings GSA, particularly in the area of water education. One standout example is Fairmont Elementary School, where students are learning about the significance of water conservation and efficient irrigation from an early age.
“They will be the future of agriculture,” said Christine Torosian-Klistoff, an Agricultural Science teacher at Fairmont Elementary school.
Located in Sanger, Fairmont Elementary is reimagining how its curriculum teaches young minds about agriculture. At the heart of this effort is the Grow the Legacy project, which integrates education in ways that resonate with students’ surroundings. The school is surrounded by nearby growers’ fields, providing an ideal backdrop for its Ag Complex—a new facility currently under construction.
While the Ag complex is under construction, the school has already started embedding the principles of water sustainability into its curriculum. Christine and other dedicated teachers have introduced hands-on projects like water filtration experiments and class gardens. Students monitor these gardens using soil sensors, giving them a direct understanding of how water conservation works in practice.
The Grow the Legacy project aims to inspire other schools to bring agriculture into the classroom to prepare the next generation of groundwater users- whether they be future growers or not.
For the North Kings GSA, the long-term success of groundwater sustainability efforts depends on all growers, residents, teachers, and students doing their part to use water thoughtfully, in a way that ultimately will protect our aquifer for the long haul.
To learn more about the Grow the Legacy project, visit the website here.
The North Kings GSA would like to give a special thank you to Fairmont Elementary students Tessa, Ezra, Lorenzo, and Vanerlei for participating in the production of our Grower’s Corner video—thank you for helping make this project a success!
