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Farm to School
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Farm to School

Farm to School

Farm to School builds connection between students, local food, farmers, and the community. In Minneapolis Public Schools, our Farm to School Program provides students with access fresh, local food in school meals; creates experiential learning opportunities for students to explore, taste, and grow food; and seeks to build and support community through the power of food.

Partner Farms Local Food School Gardens Education Farm Farm to School Toolkit Farm to School Videos
 
Our district's Farm to School Program has three main components:
 

Local Food

 
Minneapolis Public Schools partners with small and mid-size farms to source hundreds of thousands of pounds of local produce each year for our school meals. Our Farm to School partner farms are typically located within 100 miles of the Twin Cities and use sustainable growing practices. We also work with to other local farm and food businesses to buy products such as meat, dairy, breads, and valued-added products.
  • Farm to School - produce grown by small and mid-sized farmers using sustainable growing methods, within 100 miles of the Twin Cities. Learn more about our Farm to School partner farms.
  • Local - produce, meat, and other food items grown or produced within 250 miles of the Twin Cities. Learn more about our diverse local food procurement.
MPS is proud that local food, including Farm to School produce, accounts for 25% of our district’s total food purchases, and we continue to increase the amount of local food we buy each year.
 

Food & Garden Education

 
MPS Culinary & Wellness Services works closely with schools and partner organizations to provide hands-on opportunities for students to learn about and experience local food, nutrition and agriculture. We host special events like Minnesota Thursdays and True Food Taste Tests in our school cafeterias, coordinate farmer visits to school classrooms and cafeterias, support school gardens, host student fields trips at our True Food Farm, and more.
 

Community Engagement

 
We work closely with nonprofit organizations, businesses, families and community members to ensure that our Farm to School Program is rooted in the community. We highlight exciting happenings in our biweekly e-newsletter, The Whole Carrot, partner with organization and community members on special events such as our annual Farm to School Community BBQ, attend and present at conferences and events, and participate in local and national coalitions like Homegrown Minneapolis Food Counciland the National Farm to School Network.
 
MPS Culinary & Wellness Services prides itself on working closely with both local and national farm to school partners. If you are interested in working with us, please contact Kirsten Bansen Weigle, Farm to School Coordinator.
Internship Fall 2022

The Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Culinary & Wellness Services department is looking for an intern to help with its Farm to School program for 10-20 hours/week during the fall of 2022. The intern will report to the Farm to School Coordinator. The intern will gain experience in a large, urban school district with a strong Farm to School program through a variety of projects including: assistance with Farm to School programming, Education Farm events and garden maintenance, and education/outreach efforts.

Click HERE to learn more and apply. Applications are due by 5:00pm on Friday, August 5, 2022.
Contact Information

Interested in learning more about our Farm to School Program?

Contact Kirsten Bansen Weigle, Farm to School Coordinator. 
Farm to School Education Resources

Farm to School creates opportunities for students to eat and learn about healthy, local foods!

USDA Dig In! Lessons: Ten interactive lessons for 5th-6th graders focused on growing, harvesting, tasting, and learning about a variety of fruits and vegetables. 
 
Cream of the Crop Lessons: Ten lessons and hands-on activities about special crops (fruit, vegetables, honey, maple syrup, and others!) to inspire a natural curiosity in students and lead to awareness and appreciation for food production and healthy food options. 
 
Minnesota Ag in the Classroom Kits: Free classroom lesson kits offered on a monthly basis. These kits are available for all grade levels, focus on Minnesota agriculture, and meet Minnesota state standards. 
 
Growing Minds Farm to School Resources: Lesson plans and recipes searchable by grade level and topic, ranging from cooking to gardening to soil health. 
 
Edible Schoolyard Project Resource Library: Find lesson plans for all grade level for garden, lunchroom, kitchen, and indoor classroom settings.
 
Farm to School Leadership Curriculum: A guide and six lesson plans aimed at helping high school students learn about and engage with local food systems.