Growing Minds Conference

Two-Day Professional Development Conference for K-12 Educators

July 27-28, 2026 | St. Paul College | St. Paul, MN

Join us for a dynamic professional development experience at the Growing Minds Conference, where K-12 educators like you will explore innovative ways to bring plants and animals, food, and agriculture into your classroom. This conference is organized by the Minnesota and Wisconsin Agriculture in the Classroom Programs.

Conference Schedule

Agriculture Site Tours

Hotel Accommodations

Conference Registration

This Two-Day Conference Offers:

Immersive Agricultural Tours

Gain behind-the-scenes access to working farms, interact with plants and animals, and meet the people driving agricultural innovation.

Interactive Breakout Sessions

Collaborate with experts and fellow educators to discover new, hands-on ways to integrate agriculture into your curriculum while meeting academic standards.

Mini Sessions

Fast-paced, high-energy ideas and strategies from passionate educators in Minnesota and Wisconsin to help you build food and agriculture literacy in your students.

Networking Opportunities

Build lasting connections with like-minded educators, exchange impactful strategies, and leave with fresh ideas to energize your teaching.

Why Attend the Conference

Whether you teach science, social studies, or any other subject, the Growing Minds Conference offers practical tools, real-world experiences, and creative strategies to inspire your students. Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with passionate educators and become part of a growing community of change-makers.

Growing Minds Conference Schedule

Monday, July 27, 2026

9:00 - 9:30 Name-Tag Pick-Up

9:30 - 10:30 Welcome and Opening Session

10:30 -11:30 Breakout Session #1

11:30 - Noon Lunch

Noon - 5:30 Agriculture Site Tours

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

8:30 - 9:15 Large Group Session

9:30 - 10:20 Breakout Session #2

10:35 - 11:35 Breakout Session #3

11:30 - 12:15 Lunch

12:30 - 1:20 Breakout Session #4

1:30 - 1:50 Mini Session #1

2:00 - 2:20 Mini Session #2

2:30 - 3:15 Closing

Day 1 Agriculture Site Tours

Tour 1: Seeds, Science and Beef

This tour begins by stepping inside Syngenta’s research campus in Stanton, MN for a hands‑on look at the science shaping tomorrow’s agriculture. You’ll explore how plant breeding, genetics, and traits help farmers grow healthier, more resilient crops. You’ll dive into the world of seed treatments - what they are, how they protect plants, and how they impact soil, water, and the food we ultimately eat. And you’ll walk through live test plots of corn and soybeans, seeing firsthand how research becomes real‑world solutions. Syngenta is a global leader in crop protection and seed R&D.

From Syngenta, you will travel to Cannon Valley Ranch near Goodhue, MN where you will meet owners Bruce, LeeAnn, Taylor, and Aaron Waugh. You will see how the Waugh family raises Angus and Akaushi (Wagyu) beef cattle that is used for breeding and cattle reproduction across the country. You will also hear how Cannon Valley Ranch also offers Ranch-to-Table beef direct to consumers and raised with a commitment to sustainability and regenerative agriculture.

Tour 2: America’s Dairy and Berry Land

Explore the newly renovated UW-River Falls Wuethrich Family/Grassland Dairy Center of Excellence dairy processing plant on a behind-the-scenes tour of how dairy products are made into cheese and ice cream. We will then discover the sweet side to America’s Dairyland at White Pine Berry Farm. Enjoy a farm tour and behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to grow bunches of berries, run a summer-long Farm Camp, and operate a uniquely diversified farm-to-consumer business.

Tour 3: Integrated Indigenous Experience

Learning from Place: Land Stewardship and Food Systems at Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
Organized by the Minnesota Humanities Center, this immersive Learning from Place experience invites participants to learn from the land stewardship and food systems work of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC). Educators will participate in two guided experiences: a tour of Wozupi Tribal Gardens and a bison tour led by SMSC Natural Resources. Participants will rotate between both experiences, gaining insight into community-centered agriculture, ecological stewardship, and the cultural significance of bison. This experience offers an opportunity to learn from Indigenous approaches to land stewardship and reflect on connections to food systems, sustainability, and place-based learning.

Tour 4: Behind the Scenes with Gertens

Over 100 years since opening, Gertens is one of the Twin Cities largest family-owned garden centers! Tour participants will be treated to a peek into what it takes to cater to the metro population with year-round seasonal plants and decorations, including seeing what's in store for the winter retail season. Attendees will interact with Gertens Production Team and visit their grow yard to discover the STEM involved in raising plants as well as the many additional curricular and career connections.

There will also be time to explore Gerten's retail garden center and greenhouses. This tour is sure to leave participants with great ideas of how to build community with their own locally-owned greenhouses and schools.

Tour 5: Learning from Place: Food, Culture, and Community at HmongTown Marketplace

Organized by the Minnesota Humanities Center, this immersive Learning from Place experience invites participants into the heart of St. Paul’s vibrant Hmong community. St. Paul is home to the largest Hmong population in the United States, with deep roots on the East Side. Participants will visit the iconic HmongTown Marketplace, home to more than 125 small businesses and food vendors, meet the marketplace owner, and learn about his remarkable story.

A guided tour of the market will explore Hmong culture, history, and entrepreneurship, followed by time for independent exploration, shopping, and sampling food from local vendors (cash is recommended for purchases, as not all vendors accept credit cards). This experience offers insight into how community-rooted marketplaces serve as powerful centers of culture, connection, and place-based learning.

Day 2 Breakout Session Options

Breakout Session #2 9:30-10:20 AM

Engaging Youth in Zoonotic Disease Prevention with Critters, Germs and You

Presenters: Katie Johnson and Kirstin Koch

Grade Level(s): PreK-2, 3-5

Participants will explore the Critters, Germs and You toolkit—an engaging, hands-on resource designed to teach elementary youth about zoonotic disease awareness and prevention. This interactive session will showcase practical strategies to build health literacy, encourage age-appropriate biosecurity practices, and support positive youth development.

Attendees will learn how to integrate these lessons into county programming, classrooms, clubs, and camps. Discover how to bring this fun, science-based toolkit to life in your community and empower youth to make informed, healthy choices when interacting with animals!

Secret Ingredients - Hiding Extra Nutrition in Your Recipes

Presenter: Patty Riley

Grade Level(s): 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Explore how to add extra nutrition in the form of veggies, whole grains, fruit and protein to your meals and snacks- the taste is so good; they won't even realize it! In this hands-on cooking session, you will help prepare several recipes and taste the results, as well as brainstorming what, where, and how to begin or add to a cooking program.

Creating Ag Literacy STEM Challenges Using the Engineering Design Process

Presenters: Mary Cooper and Donna Urbach

Grade Level(s): PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

This session will provide participants with hands-on opportunities to create engaging STEM Challenges using Ag literacy books and the engineering design process. Participants will receive the framework for designing challenges that allow students to dig deeper into their thinking and creative mindsets. Participants are asked to bring their favorite Ag literacy book to learn first hand how to create their own STEM Challenges that can be incorporated into their schools in many different ways.

Project-Based Classroom Agriculture

Presenter: Jenna McCann

Grade Level(s): PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8

Join me for an overview of classroom and school-wide projects that bring real-life agriculture to your students (hydroponics, trout, gardens, chickens, sheep, and more!). Problem solving, interdisciplinary connections, and nutrition come together for hands-on fun and learning. Our session will conclude with a make-and-take hydroponic model!

Celebrating Our Wisconsin Specialties (COWS)

Presenters: Kathy Schumacher and Robert Klussendorf

Grade Level(s): 3-5, 6-8

Fourth grade students, staff and volunteers from across Taylor County rotate through 15 minute agriculturally related sessions, tying into science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Topics include farm economics, beef, flower farming, robotic farms, genetics, potatoes, cranberries, equine health, veterinary career, barn quilts, soils, forestry, furs, nutrition, safety and more. Small groups rotate on predetermined routes within a large facility adjacent to the elementary and high schools and next door to the school barns, to learn about diverse agricultural topics to increase agricultural knowledge and literacy. Accurate materials are given to teachers from all schools, public and private within the county, to add to classroom literature. Related books will be shown at the various booths.

Beyond Cows and Plows: Agriculture Career Pathways for All Students

Presenter: Cindi Syverson

Grade Level(s): 6-8

1 in 10 Wisconsin jobs are in agriculture, food, and natural resources (AFNR) are your students exploring these opportunities? From urban ag and food science to robotics and environmental conservation, these careers are diverse—and the sector needs a diverse workforce. Grounded in the An Ag Career for You curriculum pilot, this session equips counselors with free, standards-aligned lessons and practical strategies to engage students and expand awareness of high-demand, rewarding AFNR careers. Attendees will leave with free, standards-aligned lessons, career exploration activities, and scalable strategies that can be directly used in classrooms, guidance sessions, and career fairs.

Breakout Session #3 10:35-11:35 AM

Looking for Fun in All the Right Recipes

Presenter: Megan Hall

Grade Level(s): 9-12

Are you looking for ways to bring healthy, delicious foods into your classroom? In this session, three full high school standards-aligned food science lessons will be shared along with many additional recipe and activity ideas. Lessons will include modeling soil horizons with a variety of chia puddings, investigating sustainable farming techniques while making Somali sambusas, and studying Hmong history while enjoying fresh spring rolls. Additional recipe activities will include exploring eating local with fruity oat bars and growing your own tea garden. All materials, including recipes will be shared digitally.

The Interactive Play Farm - Cultivating Today’s Carpet Farmers for the Careers of Tomorrow

Presenter: Marie Kruse

Grade Level(s): PreK-2

Come to the farm and discover the endless possibilities! Learn ways to secure funding for your very own interactive play farm while exploring hands-on materials including play mats, a barn, animals, machinery, and creative chef kits. Discover how to integrate career exploration, STEM activities, and cross-age mentoring by utilizing older students as mentors for younger learners, all while immersing students in agriculture through purposeful PLAY.

Participants will envision how play-based learning supports the development of problem-solving skills, language and motor development, creativity, and stronger pre-reading and reading comprehension. Through interactive experiences, students connect agriculture to their daily lives and learn about the origins of healthy food and quality clothing using a first–next–last sequencing approach.

This session also highlights how to implement meaningful farm-to-table lessons that guide students through the full journey of food production. Educators will leave inspired to teach students about the hard work, dedication, and passion behind agriculture through a hands-on play farm experience. Come PLAY with us today!

6-8 ELA Standards Based Agriculture Lessons

Presenter: Meghan Sunderland

Grade Level(s): 6-8

Looking to add agriculture to your English/Reading classroom but need to keep your curriculum tied to the standards? Here are some solutions and options to enhance your classroom with agriculture. As an experienced Middle School teacher with a background in writing curriculum and agriculture, I will provide various solutions to applying elements of agriculture into the English/Reading classroom.

Plug Into Possibility: Growing Ag + STEM Pathways Through Innovation

Presenters: Courtney Spence and Judy Barka

Grade Level(s): PreK-2, 3-5

Agriculture is all around us. Today, it’s powered by technology. This interactive session helps K–6 educators bring STEM and agriculture, food, and natural resources (AFNR) concepts to life in age-appropriate and engaging ways. Using tools like the Edison programmable robot, participants will explore how to introduce basic coding (with no prior coding or robotics experience needed), problem solving, and critical thinking through hands-on learning.

The session emphasizes easy integration into core subjects like science, math, and literacy, while building curiosity and confidence in young learners. Participants will leave with ready-to-use ideas and practical strategies to make STEM learning fun, relevant, and meaningful. Helping students begin to see their place in the world of agriculture and beyond.

Soil Stories: Making the Hidden Soil Food Web Visible

Presenter: Bailey Tangen

Grade Level(s): 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Soil is alive - but how do we help students see it? In this interactive session, educators will explore custom “biology boxes” that make root systems and soil organisms observable in real time. Participants will investigate cover crop root growth, soil structure development, and organism interactions through guided inquiry activities. This session emphasizes ecosystem relationships, energy and matter cycling, and human impacts on soil systems, providing educators with classroom-ready strategies aligned to Minnesota science standards. And it's fun to watch the ecosystem develop and change over time!

School Garden Success Stories

Presenter: Izzy Bajek

Grade Level(s): PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Schools and early care centers all across Minnesota are cultivating thriving garden programs and finding unique ways to tackle common challenges. Join Izzy Bajek from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to explore a new series of school garden case studies showcasing successful garden programs from around the state. Learn about what makes these programs thrive and the creative ways they approach topics such as summer garden management, volunteer recruitment, hydroponics, and getting garden harvest onto lunch trays. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn and take inspiration from these programs!

Breakout Session #4 12:30-1:20 PM

Global Beans, Local Impact: Teaching Climate-Friendly Food Choices

Presenter: Jodi Gruhn

Grade Level(s): PreK-2, 3-5

Discover how to teach students the connection between food choices and environmental impact using a free, multicultural curriculum that explores legumes and beans from around the world. This hands-on session showcases ready-to-use lessons that take students on a virtual tour of global bean cuisines while building nutrition knowledge. Participants will experience a sample math/data activity that adds environmental literacy and STEM rigor to the existing curriculum, aligning with National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes. Leave with free curriculum materials, classroom-tested recipes, and strategies for integrating agricultural and environmental education across subjects.

Farm Camp Minnesota

Agriculture and the Super Bowl

Presenter: Emily Kamps

Grade Level(s): 3-5, 6-8

Would we have a Super Bowl without agriculture? NO! In this engaging and interactive session, participants will explore the powerful connection between agriculture and one of America’s biggest sporting events. From the food on the table to the uniforms on the field, attendees will discover how agriculture plays a vital role in making the Super Bowl possible. Imagine the big game without pizza, chicken wings, cotton jerseys, leather footballs, or even the turf in the stadium—agriculture is at the center of it all.

Participants will leave with resources, activity ideas, and cross-curricular connections that integrate agriculture into subjects such as science, social studies, math, and language arts. Whether you teach elementary or secondary students, this session will provide meaningful, real-world applications that bring agriculture to life in your classroom.

Farming in a Glove

Presenter: Jody Ruen

Grade Level(s): 3-5

Participants will learn about various seeds that I have used and had success with when using this lesson adapted to my classroom over the past 22 years. You will walk away with your very own Farm in a Glove to take home and watch sprout before transferring your seeds outdoors. Participants will learn about the different directions they can choose to take with this hands-on activity, as well as how to use this lesson with different ages.

Water Wise: Saving Water with Precision Technology

Presenter: Jenn Scott

Grade Level(s): 6-8, 9-12

In this hands-on session, teachers will peek into the world of precision agriculture and its role in improving crop productivity and sustainability. The session will include several activities that highlight the use of variable rate technologies and how they conserve resources and design and construct a model of an irrigation system to meet criteria to reinforce the need for precision to conserve water.

Books, Games and Dairy Dreams

Mini Sessions 1:30-1:50 PM and 2:00-2:20 PM

Planting Seeds with Pages

Presenter: Kerry Schulte

Grade Level(s): PreK-2, 3-5

Bring agriculture to life in your classroom through the power of books! In this session, elementary educators will explore how to intentionally integrate agriculture-themed literature into everyday lessons using Ag in the Classroom resources as well as other resources. Participants will discover high-quality children’s books that connect agriculture to literacy, science, social studies, and math, while meeting academic standards. You’ll leave with practical ideas, ready-to-use resources, and strategies for engaging students with real-world agricultural concepts through reading, discussion, and hands-on learning—no farming background required.

Bean Lifecycle Keychain

Presenter: Jennifer Hansen

Grade Level(s): 3-5

Participants will learn about each step in the growing process as they use nine different beads to create a keychain. Attendees will get a kit that contains all the components to make their own keychain; each bead represents a different piece of the growing cycle, soil, seed, oxygen, etc. Upon completion, you will have a fun visual reminder of how plants grow. Attendees will also receive the Keychain Companion that explains the significance of each bead.

Local Food Connections with Minnesota Harvest of the Month

Presenters: Kate Seybold and Izzy Bajek

Grade Level(s): PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Dig into local food education with the Minnesota Harvest of the Month program! This interactive session will introduce ready-to-use educational resources that help students explore seasonal, local foods in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Participants will get a guided tour of lessons, activities, and classroom extensions, along with practical strategies for connecting what students are learning to what’s appearing on their lunch trays. Leave with fresh ideas and easy-to-use tools to grow students’ knowledge of local food and harvest meaningful connections between your classroom and the cafeteria.

WI Session - What's new with WI AITC

MN Session - What's new with MN AITC

*Note: Breakout sessions and presenters are subject to change.

Hotel Accommodations

A limited room block has been reserved for Growing Minds Conference attendees at the Holiday Inn St. Paul Downtown, conveniently located just minutes from St. Paul College. Rooms are available for the nights of July 26 and July 27, 2026, at a special group rate of $129 per night, plus tax.

Attendees may reserve their room online or by calling the hotel directly at (651) 225-1515 and requesting the Growing Minds Conference group rate. Rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so early booking is encouraged.

Reserve Your Hotel Room

Conference Registration

When registering for the conference, choose 1 ticket for 1 person. Each ticket option includes a Growing Minds Conference ticket and an agricultural site tour. Scroll to the bottom if you need a no-tour option.

One tour is included in your conference ticket cost of $100. Breakfast and lunch during the two-day conference are also included.

Optional $15 t-shirt add-ons are available at the bottom of the conference registration page. Select the desired design (MN or WI) and choose the size needed. If you would like both designs, please add two t-shirt tickets to your cart.

final maitc naitc shirt revised no background — MN Shirt Design

WI Shirt Design

Growing Minds Conference

Two-Day Professional Development Conference for K-12 Educators

July 27-28, 2026 | St. Paul College | St. Paul, MN

This Two-Day Conference Offers:

Immersive Agricultural Tours

Interactive Breakout Sessions

Mini Sessions

Networking Opportunities

Why Attend the Conference

Growing Minds Conference Schedule

Monday, July 27, 2026

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Day 1 Agriculture Site Tours

Day 2 Breakout Session Options

Breakout Session #2 9:30-10:20 AM

Breakout Session #3 10:35-11:35 AM

Breakout Session #4 12:30-1:20 PM

Mini Sessions 1:30-1:50 PM and 2:00-2:20 PM

Hotel Accommodations

Conference Registration

Ag Mags

Quick Links

Educators

651-201-6486