Lawton Public Schools students sell eggs at Lawton Farmers Market

An idea that has been incubating for about two years will finally hatch Saturday when Lawton Public Schools’ students sell eggs at the Lawton Farmers Market.

The eggs will be supplied through LPS’ Farm-to-Table program at MacArthur Middle School (MMS) and Eisenhower Middle School (EMS). MMS has two chicken coops; EMS has one. MMS has about 30 chickens and six roosters; EMS has seven chickens but no roosters.

The challenge is to accumulate enough eggs to sell to the public because the eggs also are used in the classroom.

“We collect about a dozen eggs a day,” said MMS Farm-to-Table teacher Colby Turner.

That may sound like a lot, but Turner uses the eggs to cook for his 150 students every two weeks. Students turn in recipes and vote on their favorite one. Turner then makes the winning recipe. Some items he has made include brownies, zucchini bread, waffles, ice cream and chocolate chip cookies.

The Farm-to-Table class at EMS gathers fewer than 10 eggs a day because it has fewer hens.

Turner predicted that the two schools will need to produce 6 to 10 dozen eggs to sell at Farmers Market, which is why the eggs may only be available every other week.

“One group (of hens) just started laying,” Turner said in early September. “Once we get everyone up and laying, we will have plenty of eggs.”

Chickens are a new addition to the Farm-to-Table program at MMS.

“We started chickens last year,” Turner said. “We had three hens donated and we incubated some eggs last year at Eisenhower Elementary School.”

The Farm-to-Table program at EMS has had chickens for about four years, according to ag educator Sharon Stuckey.

Reaping the profits from the egg sales is a side benefit of the project. Turner and Stuckey want students to gain some real-world experience.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Stuckey said. “I think the kids will have the satisfaction of customer service. They will learn about the economy and how it works.”

Gaining experience working with the public also is a goal of selling at the Farmers Market.

“We want to teach the kids how to sell properly, how to dress appropriately,” said Cindy Nocton, Farmers Market manager. “Even if they are not going to be a farmer, we want to teach them how to sell.”

The students will get tips on selling from the pros. Nocton said Farmers Market will pair the students with some older farmers who will teach them how to sell and how to meet the public.

“We want to teach them the ropes on how to be in the public eye,” Nocton said.

In order to get as many students as possible involved, three to four students may work at one time and rotate every hour.

“We want to have different groups of students come in, not just the top three,” Nocton said.

Nocton is confident the public will be receptive to the program.

“Eggs are our No. 1 seller,” Nocton said. “They usually sell out by 9:30. The public always goes to kid vendors first. The public likes to support kids.”

The students are receptive to the idea also.

“It’s pretty cool. I would volunteer,” said Halie Salas, a student at MMS.

Lawton Farmers Market, 77 SW 4th Street, is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday.