TULSA, Okla. — A continued effort to tackle Tulsa food insecurity is being reimagined by high schoolers through a Food on the Move internship.
This program started as an 8th-grade elective class at Monroe Demonstration Academy. The class met Monday through Friday. It taught gardening and farming practices both indoors and outdoors.
The students could then apply for a paid summer internship with the organization.
WATCH: BIG IMPACT, MICRO FARMING: Food on the Move interns help curb food insecurity:
Three students got internships and work to maintain several gardens that grow food that’s given back to the community for free. This provides interns with hands-on experience in urban farming while learning about the impact of fresh food on someone’s overall health.
Feeding America’s 2025 Food Insecurity Report said nearly 14% of people living in Tulsa County are food insecure, meaning roughly 90,000 individuals fall in that category.
14-year-old intern Bennie Johnson said he was placed in the class and found a love for the projects, “I never really thought about being a farmer until the class I got put into, and I saw all of the techniques that they were using, and I decided to go ahead and fill it out, and here I am."
The interns work with hydroponics, which is a sustainable system that feeds itself. They’re also helping to grow multiple community gardens in areas where they're needed the most.
The lessons go beyond just the interns. Food on the Move’s first intern, who started three years ago, now works with the organization, said it gives information to people as well.
“I want everyone to learn how to actually grow their own food, so they don’t spend so much on supermarkets,” said Hamilton.
With the internship being paid, students gain a deeper understanding of the business side as well.
“We're hoping to expose them to every aspect of agro-business, not just farming. But the sales portion of it, and how to forecast your crop. There's a lot of math and a lot of science involved in it, and they get paid, so they get some real-life experience. Some of them created bank accounts to be able to do this program, so it's a lot of real-life lessons happening,” said Program Director Rusty Rowe.
The organization’s interns participate in community events where they distribute free produce and observe how their work helps address a longstanding problem.
Food on the Move hopes to expand its internship program after the opening of its larger micro farm, with a push to introduce it to high schools.
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