Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist

Students wrapped up the Texas Farm Bureau Farm From School program for the fall 2025 semester learning how Texas farmers grow spinach.

Kindergarten through fifth-grade students took a virtual field trip to Tiro Tres Farms in La Pryor, a family-owned farm that has been growing spinach in South Texas for more than 100 years. Now in its fourth generation,  the family’s legacy continues with Paige Ritchie working alongside her father.

Ritchie serves as the farm’s food safety and quality assurance manager and shared what it’s like to grow spinach in the Winter Garden region of South Texas.

“Spinach likes a mild, cool climate,” she said. “We have a small window where the climate is right for the spinach to grow, and that’s from November to about March, April.”

Students observed spinach about 34 days into the growing process and nearly ready for harvest.

They learned that spinach is grown in different sizes, including baby, teen and curly spinach. Baby spinach leaves are typically two to three inches long, while curly spinach can grow up to five inches and has crinkled leaves. The Ritchies prefer to grow semi-savoy spinach for its texture and taste.

“When we want spinach to grow bigger, we plant fewer seeds, so it has more room,” Ritchie said. “When we want baby spinach, we plant the seeds closer together.”

Students also learned how farmers water spinach using large center pivot irrigation systems and why water is important for helping seeds germinate and plants grow.

Food safety is a major part of spinach production, and Ritchie explained how spinach is tested before it can be harvested.

“I can’t harvest spinach until we know it’s safe,” Ritchie said. “We test the plants, the water and even the equipment to make sure the spinach is good to eat.”

Once harvested, spinach is quickly cooled and transported to keep it fresh. A single trailer can hold up to 10,000 pounds of spinach before it is taken to a packing facility. From there, the farm’s spinach is shipped to grocery stores across Texas, the East Coast and even Canada.

Ritchie encouraged students to try spinach, even if they don’t think they like it.

“I didn’t like spinach when I was a kid either,” Ritchie said. “Now, I eat it all the time, and there are so many ways to enjoy it.”

TFB’s Farm From School program helps connect students with Texas farmers and ranchers to learn more about where their food, fiber and fuel comes from.

“Farm From School allows students to see where their food comes from and meet the farmers who grow it,” Carson Read, TFB education coordinator, said. “Lessons like this help make agriculture real and relatable for students in the classroom.”

By learning about crops like spinach, students gain a better understanding of agriculture and the families who grow the food they eat.

More information about Farm From School
Farm From School spring 2026 registration is now open.

Educators can register at texasfarmbureau.org/aitc.

For questions, contact the Education team at edoutreach@txfb.org or 254-751-2258.

More information about Ag in the Classroom resources is available at texasfarmbureau.org/aitc.