Dear friends and neighbors,
Last summer, I was on a walk around the neighborhood with my family, and caught myself thinking, “what if we could build a farm right here?” I’ve been working on the idea ever since.
For years, I’ve felt forced to choose between two dreams: moving to a rural homestead to connect with the land, or living in a close-knit neighborhood surrounded by lots of friends. Until now, it felt impossible to have one without giving up the other. When I started working on this idea, I was excited about the idea of having both, and I quickly realized that the kids at Provo City School District might benefit most of all.
In 2017, Provo City School District decided not to carry its ag program to the new school campus, and my hope with the Homestead is that we’ll be able to bring that program back to the local community. During the day, high school agriculture and FFA students could use the Homestead as a working farm, and younger classes could come on field trips with their teachers to get hands-on learning.
In the evenings, we hope we can offer classes for neighbors (like beekeeping, canning, or floral arranging) and, if the city approves it, include a farm stand selling produce grown just a few steps from our homes. I’d love for this to be a community gathering place where we can get to know each other a little better.
I live in Broadview Shores, and would love your support on this project. Whether you’re excited or have a concern, please reach out, I’d love to chat.
Warmly,
Rachel QuarnbergProposed Director
What Provo lost in 2017
In the spring of 2017, 166 Provo High students were taking agriculture classes when the district decided not to carry the program to the new campus. A greenhouse had been in the building plans, but it was cut as not "cost-effective or space-effective." KSL TV, March 2017
The Homestead would give those classes room without taking space on a high school campus, and the plan calls for grants and private donations to pay for building it. Those were the two reasons the greenhouse was cut. A fourth grader who has watched a seed break through the soil in a greenhouse bed remembers photosynthesis in a way a diagram can't match.
What's planned for the 11 acres
At the center would be a classroom building and outdoor amphitheater, surrounded by gardens, greenhouses, an orchard and beehives. A small barn and paddock for animal care lessons is part of the plan too, though keeping animals on this site needs city approval first.
On evenings and weekends, the plan includes classes for neighbors, like beekeeping and canning, and a farm stand if the city approves it.
What it would cost the district
The plan calls for funding construction with grants and private donations, so the district would not spend capital funds on the farm. The Hinterland Institute would run it day to day, while the district decides how often to send classes and arranges the buses for those trips.
We want The Hinterland Homestead
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Weigh in
Add your support, or tell us about a concern. Either way, we read every one.
Thank you for adding your support.
If you wrote a message, it will appear on the site after we review it, usually within a few days.
If you have two more minutes, send the school board a short note at schoolboard@provo.edu. Tell them in a sentence or two why this matters to you or your family; a personal note carries more weight than a copied one.
Thanks for telling us.
Someone on our team will read it. If you asked for a reply, you'll hear from us within a week.
Test mode: what would be sent
Living next to a farm
If you live in Broadview Shores, here's where the plan stands on the questions we hear most, including the parts that aren't settled yet.
Will it smell?
The plan calls for trained staff to clean animal areas every day. Where manure is stored, and how often it's hauled away, is still being designed, and it has to meet the city's setback rules before any animals come to the site.
Will it be loud?
Visits happen during the school day, and we're committing to no late-night events and no amplified sound after dark.
What about traffic and parking?
Most visiting students would arrive by school bus during school hours. A parking and drop-off plan will go through the city's review before anything is built, and we'll post it here when it's ready.
Is any of this approved?
Not yet. The school district hasn't made a decision, and parts of the plan, including animals and a farm stand, would need city zoning approval. We'll update this page as each step happens.
Have a concern we haven't answered? Tell us about it.