Bringing healthy foods to your classroom
Imagine your students experiencing fresh local produce, tasty and healthy treats, and actual cooking right in their classroom! Midwest Food Connection’s teachers bring exciting, practical and interactive lessons about healthful eating to dozens of schools in the Twin Cities area – and, we can bring this energy and delight in whole foods to your classroom.
Storytelling, drama, song, and art accompany a bountiful selection of fresh food. Our educators create dishes in the classroom, engaging children in the preparation and the processing of food, and inspiring them with wonderful tasting food and snacks.
Midwest Food Connection offers four seasonal units about whole foods and sustainable agriculture. The lessons in each unit are available individually or as a set.
We teach in grades K-8 and tailor the material to the specific age of the students. Most lessons last 55 minutes and include a presentation, whole-class and individual activities, and a tasting component.
Our programs through the seasons
- Fall 1 – Locally Grown (September – November)
- Fall 2 – Smart Eating for You and the Planet (formerly Climate Conscious Cuisine) (November – January)
- Winter – A Time for Tasting (January – March)
- Spring – Urban Farming (April – June)
- Middle School – Developing Habits for a Healthy Life (Year-round)
Please contact us with any questions about scheduling lessons at your school.
Experience our curriculum
Below is a sample of one of the units in our curriculum: four lessons that work together to get students thinking about the source of their food and introduce them to the joys of eating locally grown food.
Locally Grown (September-November)
Four lessons teach about the importance and delights of eating local foods. Children taste fruits, herbs, and vegetables from nearby farms while learning to care for our soil and open space.
Eat Local – What food grows in your neighborhood? Can you find local produce in your grocery store? Learn about the farmers that supply us fresh food, the gas we waste when we truck in our food, and decide where to get local food grown nearby.
Make a Salad – Discover the variety of produce that comes from Minnesota’s farms. Students will experience through taste, touch and sight their favorite fresh produce, and create a salad with their friends. Selection and topics will vary with the season.
Wild Rice – Students will learn how Minnesota’s native grain has been a source of sustenance and pride for generations of Native Americans and settlers in Wild Rice. Through story and drawing, students will explore the plant’s characteristics and traditions and will learn how it is harvested. Its flavor will be enjoyed as well!
Herbs & Spices – Expand and train your taste buds! This lesson will present the plants, flavors, and uses of herbs and spices common to agriculture and cuisine in Minnesota. Activities include making an herbal pizza and sketching actual plants.
Invite us to your school
To schedule lessons from Midwest Food Connection in your school, contact us via e-mail. Or, you may call and our staff will help you tailor a lesson plan to your students’ needs.
Tell us
- What lesson (or group of lessons) you need.
- When you would like us to come to your classroom.
- How many classrooms are involved.
Pricing
$150 for first program
$110 for each additional program taught on the same day
*Maximum booking: 35 students per program, 6 programs per day
*Additional mileage charges may apply to schools more than 25 miles from Minneapolis’ city center
Please contact us if you have any questions regarding Midwest Food Connection’s programs, curriculum, or fees.