Farm to Kids Month 2026
A month-long celebration of all the ways we can connect kids to local foods!
This October, we joined the Minnesota Farm to Kids Program for a month-long celebration of all the ways we can connect kids to local foods! Across the state, schools, districts, early care centers, daycares, community partners, and more participated in activities to enjoy Minnesota-grown foods.
2026 Theme: Thank You, Farmers!
Farm to Kids Month wouldn’t be possible without the effort of our local farmers. To show our appreciation to them, we celebrated the month with the theme “Thank You, Farmers!”
Education sites that participated were encouraged to connect with, and show appreciation to, local farmers. Students wrote thank you cards, ate lunch with farmers in their community, and more!
The first 100 sites to register for Farm to Kids Month received agriculture-themed postcards that they could color and write thank you notes to farmers.
We also created a template for our Farm to Kids Month poster so schools can customize them with photos of their local farmers! You can access the Canva template to customize a poster and get copies of the postcards here: https://canva.link/z2ook3hugyo7ymv
The Great Apple Crunch
One of the featured activities for Farm to Kids Month was the Great Apple Crunch on October 8th! The tradition began in 2014 across the Great Lakes Region to celebrate local farmers, healthy kids, and strong community connections. Now an annual celebration in Minnesota, people across the state crunched into apples at the same time to create one big apple crunch!
Our team joined Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Department of Education staff on the steps of the Minnesota Capital Building to join in the Great Apple Crunch!
Apple Lesson Kits
We helped bring the taste of autumn produce to 6,599 students across 150 classrooms with our apple lesson kits! Designed for early care through second grade classes, these kits included an apple-themed book, a lesson plan and activities, hands-on tools, and funds to purchase locally-grown apples.
Want to do an apple lesson with your class? Check out our “A is for Apples” lesson plan on our curriculum matrix! In this lesson, students will use their five senses to investigate apples, identify and model the parts of an apple, make applesauce, and discover how apples are grown.
Farm Tours with the School Nutrition Leaders of Minnesota
Our team joined the School Nutrition Leaders of Minnesota (SNLM) for some farm tours on October 2nd.
One group traveled to Cheeky Harvest in St. Paul, MN and Mhonpaj’s Garden in Hugo, MN. Cheeky Harvest is an indoor urban farm growing microgreens and edible flowers using vertical farming techniques and hydroponics. Operating year-round, the farm uses a technology-forward approach to sustainably grow food for their local community.
Mhonpaj’s Garden is owned by the mother-daughter team of May and Mhonpaj Lee who grow Asian greens and herbs, as well as a variety of vegetables. They are the first Hmong-owned organic farm in the state and sell their produce at the Mill City Farmers Market, Downtown Saint Paul Farmers Market, White Bear Farmers Market. They have also partnered with schools to provide locally-grown foods to students.
The second group traveled to Fireside Orchard & Gardens in Northfield, MN and Waxwing Farm in Webster, MN. Fireside Orchard grows about 30 varieties of apples on their property. They offer a pick-your-own experience, sell apples and other goods in their store, and supply wholesale customers to local retailers and schools. They also partnered with the new Minnesota Apple Fries vendor at the 2026 Minnesota State Fair, supplying one ton of apples per day!
Waxwing Farm is a 40-acre diversified vegetable farm, supplying produce to local restaurants and the Prior Lake-Savage school district. Every year, they test grow new, unique crops including edible flowers, special varieties of peppers, and more.
Farm to School Lunch Events
Multiple schools across the state–including Willmar, Mankato, and St. Cloud–partnered with the Minnesota Farm to Kids Alliance to host Farm to School Lunch Events! These events invited state, local, and district leaders, as well as farmers and other community partners, to come together to see first-hand the impact Farm to School has in local communities.
Through kitchen tours, classroom visits, shared meals, and conversations about strengthening connections between Minnesota farms and schools, these events brought together so many people to celebrate Farm to Kids Month!
Farm to School Culinary Training
On October 15th, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture hosted a hands-on Farm to School Culinary Training at Shakopee High School. Led by Chef Genna Deprey of Anoka-Hennepin Schools, the session focused on building culinary skills and confidence in working with local foods. School nutrition staff from across Minnesota practiced knife skills, prepared recipes featuring local ingredients, and learned practical tips for buying, storing, and cooking with local products.
Harvest Meal at Becker Public Schools
Becker Public Schools got their students involved with Farm to Kids Month through a harvest meal! Before lunch, all students watch a video in class to learn about where all the components of their meal came from. During lunch, Farm Friend volunteers talked with students and passed out Harvest of the Month stickers.
The Minnesota Harvest of the Month is a free marketing program celebrating seasonally available, locally grown, raised, and harvested products. The program is free and publicly available for school and early care settings. Learn more about Harvest of the Month on the Farm to Kids website! https://www.farmtokidsmn.org/harvestofthemonth
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October 21, 2026
Elliot Dusosky
Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom
