Cedar Valley College welding students and faculty had a great time creating larger-than-life vegetable and fruit sculptures that will spark the imaginations of kids at Moss Haven Farm.
Contact: Ann Hatch
214-378-1819;
ahatch@dcccd.edu
For immediate release — Oct. 23, 2017
News brief
(DALLAS) — Planting the seeds of knowledge for students in grades K-12 yields a crop of tomorrow’s leaders.
Planting seeds at Moss Haven Farm in Dallas yielded a different crop — fruits and vegetables that feed a community and educate young students about farming, the environment and healthy lifestyles. Taught by “Farmer Kim” Aman, youngsters get hands-on experience growing food and working together in the urban school garden, which is part of Moss Haven Elementary School in the Richardson Independent School District.
Students at the urban school garden got a treat on Thursday, Oct. 19, when several very large vegetables they drew were installed as metal sculptures on campus — works of art created by welding students and faculty from the Bill J. Priest Institute, Cedar Valley College. Larger-than-life, colorful representations of broccoli, a carrot, a potato and more will serve as a daily reminder of what Moss Haven Farm youngsters can grow.
“Our welding students from Cedar Valley were excited to take drawings submitted by Moss Haven Farm students and literally weld them into colorful, large-scale versions of several vegetables. It gave us an opportunity to use art and welding skills to create a project that gives back to the community,” said Byron Zarrabi, the welding program’s director.
Dylan Zarrabi, son of Cedar Valley College welding program director Byron Zarrabi, joined his dad for the fun when the giant veggie sculptures were delivered to Moss Haven Farm.
“Fabricating these whimsical metal veggies, based on those drawings, was fun. Watching the kids’ reactions when we installed our larger-than-life pieces — recreations of a potato, a piece of broccoli, a strawberry, a carrot and an onion — was absolutely priceless,” added Zarrabi, whose son, Dylan, joined him at the event.
The Cedar Valley College welding students, whose facilities are located at the Dallas County Community College District’s Bill J. Priest Institute near downtown Dallas, previously created metal art sculptures which have been exhibited on the grounds of the State Fair of Texas.
Moss Haven Farm was established in 2012. It is a 501c3 urban school garden which started as a simple, grassy patch and has grown to 23 raised beds, a farm field and a chicken coop. The farm has been recognized as an American Heart Association Teaching Garden and has been designated as a United Way Healthy Zone School.
“Moss Haven Farm exists to cultivate a respect for the earth and food-growth process in our students,” said Aman, whose grandfather grew crops in Ohio and taught her about soils, plants, animals and healthy foods. “Our vision is that they will develop a lifelong interest in responsible environmental practices, seek to live a healthy lifestyle, and cultivate a passion for giving back to the community. In addition to enriching academics, our program seeks to spark positive growth in our students’ families and our community.”
For more information, contact Zarrabi at
bzarrabi@dcccd.edu or at 214-860-5880; or contact Aman at
farmerkimaman@gmail.com.
For details about the farm, visit
mosshavenfarm.org.
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