Big River Farms Youth - Family Engagement Program - a Project of the Minnesota Food Association

Project Overview

YENC15-085
Project Type: Youth Educator
Funds awarded in 2015: $2,000.00
Projected End Date: 02/15/2017
Region: North Central
State: Minnesota
Project Manager:
Laura Hedeen
Minnesota Food Association

Commodities

Not commodity specific

Practices

  • Sustainable Communities: community development, local and regional food systems

    Proposal abstract:

    Project Abstract:
    The Minnesota Food Association seeks to pilot a new youth and family engagement program to be implemented at our training farm over the 2015 season. The pilot will offer five sessions over the season to student groups and families, where youth will learn about basic sustainable agriculture practices and have the opportunity to interact with current farmers in our program. The sessions will be divided up into three 20-30 minute sections, each of which will address a new topic with a fun, hands-on approach. Topics include soil health, vegetable anatomy, and meet your farmer.

    Student & Community Impact:
    MFA’s new Youth and Family Engagement Program will impact the community by educating a diverse group of youth and their families about basic sustainable agriculture practices and why they are important. It will also illuminate the farmers’ role in producing food we eat, and present farming as a viable career option for people of all socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. This new knowledge will encourage young people to look at our food system with a more critical eye, and encourage them to consider sustainable farming as a future career.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.