Sean Sheppard

Sean Sheppard founded Backyard Farmer in Richmond, Virginia. The program builds and runs learning gardens in schools, community centers, and afterschool programs. This past year, he ran gardens in 19 different public schools. Students care for the soil, plant, weed, compost, harvest, and taste. The yearlong program teaches garden planning, photosynthesis, pollination, plant structure, seed-germination, weather, and nutrition. The program has cultivated awe and respect for the natural world through teaching the life cycle of plants and giving students the gift of working in the garden. Sean has “cultivated young students’ minds and his exuberance is infectious.”