From July 9-27, MFC staff Haruko Ruggiero taught a course called “Fair Food” to 3rd and 4th graders at FAIR School in downtown Minneapolis.
The course engaged students both inside and outside the classroom. Inside the classroom, the students had lessons about local foods, herbs and spices, and whole grains. The kids planted and cared for cucumbers on the sunny deck of the school.
Outside of the classroom, the kids went on three field trips, including visits to the Seward Co-op, the Nicollett Ave Farmers’ Market, and a farm in Delano called Peterson Produce.
The course culminated in a homemade pasta party, where the students incorporated all of their learnings into one very fun event. The kids made homemade pasta, and topped it with homemade pasta sauce. They used zucchini, spinach, onions, garlic, and tomatoes, all of which they had purchased at the Nicollet Ave Farmer’s Market the day before!
Alongside the delicious pasta, the kids also made a salad, using cucumbers (like the ones they had planted) and corn, which was given to them by the farmers at Peterson Produce.
A second round of this class is currently running, and with it coming to a close soon (August 24th is the last day), the staff is excited to host their second pasta party with FAIR School!