Last updated: May 2025
Launched in 2022, the Murphy High School Farm-to-Table Program in Mobile is an initiative aimed at addressing urban food deserts and promoting community health through education and sustainable farming practices [Ref 1; Ref 4]. Funded by Spire as part of its “Connected Through Cooking” initiative, the program transforms 28 acres of school grounds into a teaching farm where students learn to grow and cook nutritious food [Ref 1; Ref 6]. The project integrates science, math, and culinary arts into hands-on learning, engaging students in planning, planting, and harvesting crops, as well as developing healthy recipes [Ref 1; Ref 4]. Activities include constructing greenhouses, building raised beds, and installing irrigation systems—33 raised beds and an 800 sq. ft. greenhouse were completed in the first year [Ref 1; Ref 2]. The program also supports nearby food-insecure neighbourhoods by distributing produce and recipe tips, helping address poor access to fresh food in Mobile [Ref 3; Ref 4]. Younger students from local schools are included through farm-based learning, broadening the program’s educational reach [Ref 1; Ref 5]. Key actors include Murphy educators, Spire staff, and community partners such as Jones Valley Teaching Farm and Auburn University [Ref 4]. Outcomes include improved STEM education, increased food literacy, and stronger community ties through urban agriculture [Ref 1; Ref 4].
Murphy Farm to Table
Facebook page: Murphy Farm to Table
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Community gardens
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable production
- Food scarcity / security
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Disconnection from nature
- Resource Scarcity and Competition
- Food insecurity due to disruptions in food production and distribution
Key priorities
Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of areas for food production (community gardens, allotments), Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Educational and awareness raising programs, Scientific research of biodiversity or ecosystems
Project objectives
-Create a hands-on teaching farm for students of all grade levels (high school, middle school, and elementary) [Ref 4]
-Teach students about sustainability, healthy living, and cooking with local, sustainable foods through integrated lessons in science, math, and culinary arts. [Ref 4]
-Combat food deserts in Mobile by providing access to fresh, locally grown produce and healthy recipes to underserved communities. [Ref 3; Ref 4; Ref 6]
-Improve nutritional education and awareness among students and the broader community, particularly around growing and preparing healthy foods.[Ref 1; Ref 2; Ref 4]
-Foster cross-disciplinary learning that connects food production with STEM and culinary subjects, offering immersive, career-relevant educational experiences.[Ref 1; Ref 4]
-Provide students with the tools to grow food in limited spaces, supporting future self-sufficiency even in urban or apartment living environments.[Ref 6]
-Expand the program’s reach and impact through collaboration with local schools and educational partners. [Ref 1; Ref 5]
Implementation activities
-Built raised garden beds for growing a variety of fruits and vegetables [Ref 2].
-Constructed an 800 sq. ft. greenhouse to support year-round planting [Ref 1].
-Planted 20 blueberry bushes, 2 blackberry bushes, and multiple fruit trees including persimmon, loquat, fig, orange, and grapefruit [Ref 1; Ref 2].
-Created an outdoor teaching area with benches for student instruction [Ref 1].
-Installed irrigation hoses to support plant growth across all beds [Ref 2].
-Built 10 seed-growing tables and 2 planting tables for indoor and greenhouse planting [Ref 1; Ref 4].
-Designed and constructed a shared house to distribute extra produce to the community [Ref 2].
-Constructed a metal tool shed for equipment storage, built by students [Ref 1].
-Developed a “trap garden” to naturally attract pests away from crops [Ref 4].
-Integrated farm-based activities into math, science, and culinary classes, including recipe development and engineering garden layouts [Ref 1; Ref 5].
-Launched a new "Introduction to Plant Biotechnology" class aligned with the farm curriculum [Ref 4].
-Collaborated with external partners like Jones Valley Teaching Farm and Auburn University for best practices and educational support [Ref 4].
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
- Other
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Deliberative decision-making processes (e.g., consensus building, deliberative polling)
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The initiative was initiated and primarily funded by Spire, a private energy company, through its Connected Through Cooking community initiative [Ref 1; Ref 4; Ref 6].
While the program is implemented at Murphy High School (a public institution under the Mobile County Public School System), the vision, funding, construction support, and curriculum development were significantly driven by Spire and its partners [Ref 1; Ref 4].
The program also involves collaborations with non-governmental educational and agricultural organizations, such as Jones Valley Teaching Farm, Auburn University’s Horticulture Department, and the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future [Ref 4].
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
Capacity-building projects, Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships), Change agents (individual with major role influence on launching), Collaboration with other projects that implemented NBS, Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)
Financing
Total cost
€10,000 - €50,000
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Donations
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of labour
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
- Private sector (businesses, financial institution)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Reduced emissions
- Expected reduced emissions
- Environmental quality
- Improved soil quality
- Expected improved soil quality
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
- Improved prevention or control of invasive alien species
- Achieved improved prevention or control of invasive alien species
Economic impacts
- Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Achieved generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Other
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved social cohesion
- Expected improved social cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Achieved improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Expected increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Achieved increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
- Achieved increased sustainability of agriculture practices
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved physical health
- Expected improved physical health
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Promotion of cultural diversity
- Expected promotion of cultural diversity
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Achieved increased support for education and scientific research
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Achieved increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Spire (n.d.). Murphy High School Farm-to-Table program connects food, farming and the culinary arts. [Source link];
2.
Spire (n.d.). Community gardens at Murphy High School cultivate teamwork, nutrition awareness and community impact. [Source link];
3.
Facebook page (n.d.). Murphy Farm to Table. [Source link];
4.
Spire (n.d.). Murphy High School Farm To Table. [Source link];
5.
FOX News (2022). Murphy HS students to get hands-on farming lesson with Farm to Table program. [Source link];
6.
NBC 15 News (2022). Murphy HS gifted $35,000 for Farm-to-Table program. [Source link];
Murphy Farm to Table
Facebook page: Murphy Farm to Table
Murphy Farm to Table
Facebook page: Murphy Farm to Table
Murphy Farm to Table
Facebook page: Murphy Farm to Table
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.