Witnessing the Power of Stories
“My favorite part was when you told the story about the seed of the sun and all those other stories in that day.” – 3rd grader from Horace Mann Elementary As the newest and youngest member of our small staff, I have learned a lot over the past six months of...
Wild Rice
INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup of wild rice (in class we used lake-grown, which cooks faster) a pinch of salt 1 Tbsp. oil 1 1/2 cups water (you may need up to a cup more) INSTRUCTIONS: Heat the oil in a saucepan, then lightly sauté the rice so it gets warm and toasty! Add 1...
Midwest Food Connection 101
Here are some photos from my visit to Frost Lake Elementary this January, exploring and tasting some new fruit in our “Global Fruit Picking” lesson. Ever wondered just how Midwest Food Connection is able to reach students all over the Twin Cities with our culinary...
Five MFC Projects to Watch For
Uli Koester In January, MFC wrapped up an exciting year of celebrations, special lessons, and speaker engagements. Twenty years of teaching children about great food! Emerging from this excitement, we find ourselves with a new mission statement and a strategic plan...
Observations from our Carleton Extern
Hello readers of the Midwest Food Connection’s blog! I’m Jenni Rogan, a sophomore at Carleton College interested in food and environmental education. I’ve done a lot of environmental education in the past, from running an after-school gardening program to working as a...
Ginger’s Gift: Ten Years Teaching for Midwest Food Connection
Ginger has been a remarkable teacher with our program and we are thankful so many kids got to have lessons with her! Here's why... Ginger has a warm smile and an easy laugh, which of course make her presence in any classroom welcoming and pleasant. She has an...
Fall Farm Field Trips
Midwest Food Connection's work bringing educational adventures in food, cooking, and gardening to children and their families includes taking Twin Cities students on field trips to local farms to experience where their food comes from firsthand. I was lucky to be able...
Special 20th Anniversary Classes Coming Soon to a Co-op Near You!
For children grades K-6 Make a Pizza: Expand and train your tastebuds! This lesson will present the plants, flavors, and uses of herbs and spices common to agriculture and cuisine in Minnesota. Children will use both fresh and dried herbs to make pizzas, and explore...
Join our team!
The Midwest Food Connection is seeking a half-time teacher to present lessons on healthful foods, cooking, and gardening in Twin Cities elementary classrooms. Start-date: September Salary: 15,500-17,500 for 10 months, 20 hours a week Benefits: health, dental,...
Inquiring Nature-Loving Minds Want to Know!
Our spring planting unit is well under way, and it is, as always, a rich, fresh, and lively set of four lessons where we bring our buckets, dirt, seeds, and spring plants right into the classrooms. We teachers with Midwest Food Connection have a great appreciation...
20 Years of Inspiring Children to Eat well
It’s lunch time in the crowded cafeteria at Marcy Open School in Minneapolis. Kenisha pulls a snap pea from her pocket and covertly, proudly, shows it to her hungry friends, “Look what I still have.” Enviously admiring the small pod as if it were the newest candy, the...
2014-2015 Annual Report
Ginger’s reflections on MOSES and Organic Industry Structure
Attending the MOSES Conference (Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service) last week in Wisconsin was a great opportunity for Haruko and me as MFC educators to tap into the knowledge and expertise of hundreds of organic growers, producers, and food manufacturers...
Eating Green in Minneapolis Public Schools
How can we "eat green" and reduce our contribution to global warming through our food choices? There are many steps that can be taken and eating Locally is one of them. Here is what will be served in Minneapolis Public Schools at the start of the new year! Minnesota...
MFC Collaborates with MPS Culinary & Nutrition Services Department
Because Midwest Food Connection educators bring lessons about healthy food choices into school classrooms, working with food service providers in schools is a natural connection for us. This fall, we have begun an exciting collaboration with Minneapolis Public...
Maple Syrup and Climate Change: Not so sweet?
March is one of my favorite months of the year. The longer days, melting snow, and warmer temperatures draw everyone out of their homes after months of hunkering down indoors to cope with frigid wind chills, short days, and dark nights. In my other life as a...
Sprouts of Spring
In the middle of a carpeted, first-grade classroom, a garden full of carrots, apple trees, corn, and sunflowers sprout up. Granted, the plants were first-graders who were “magically” turned into fruits and vegetables, but the students were still learning valuable...
Meet Our New Spring Intern: Kjersten
Kjersten has just begun her internship with us and will be with us through the end of the school year. We are excited for her to help out in the classrooms, in the gardens and on the farms! She will also be doing some projects for us, including a research project...