Our Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) team is celebrating the 2023-24 school year by selecting a focus area for each month. Teacher Professional Development, virtual field trips, featured lessons, AgMag connections and more will be shared each month! Our October focus area is Fall Favorites: Apples, Squash and Wild Rice. The resources featured this month will focus on Minnesota-grown foods that are harvested and ready to eat in the fall.
Visit our new webpage featuring these monthly focus areas for more details.
 Join us for a virtual field trip to Fireside Orchard and Gardens!
When: Wednesday, October 11, 2023, 10:00 a.m.
What: Come with us as we visit Fireside Orchard and Gardens to learn all about growing Minnesota apples! Students will be able to ask Fireside Orchard owner Darren all about apples and we will also see how apples are pressed for making cider! This is a fall virtual field trip you will not want to miss!
This virtual field trip will last 30 minutes and is targeted to K-5 students.
This virtual field trip will also be streamed live on YouTube and a recording will be available for later viewing.
Minnesota Great Apple Crunch!
This Virtual Field Trip is just one day before the Minnesota Great Apple Crunch!
Join the 2023 Great Apple Crunch to celebrate Minnesota farmers, healthy kids, and strong communities! Participating in the Crunch is simple: buy, serve, and Crunch into locally grown apples!
The official Crunch date and time is Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 12:00 p.m., but we welcome your Crunch any time in October. Register your Crunch to make it official, add your numbers to the Crunch count, get the scoop on serving local apples, and receive the Crunch Guide.
 Join us on Zoom for an exciting look at Minnesota apples!
When: Thursday, October 26, 2023, 3:45-4:45 p.m.
What: David Bedford, research scientist and apple breeder will share insights into the Apple Breeding program at the University of Minnesota. He has been involved in developing many well-known apple cultivars including Honeycrisp, SweeTango, and First Kiss.
Apple-themed lessons and activities will be shared and demonstrated. These include:
Several lucky teacher attendees will receive a classroom set of apple cultivars so students can investigate the genetics involved in the SweeTango apple that has Zestar! and Honeycrisp as parents.
 MAITC has worked with MANY amazing teachers across our state! We would like to recognize one of these awesome educators with the MAITC Outstanding Teacher Award. This award is presented to an educator currently engaged in classroom instruction at the K-12 grade level and recognizes the teacher for his/her creative efforts to teach students about the importance of agriculture. The winning Minnesota teacher will receive $500 and have up to $1,500 of related expenses paid to attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference, June 24-27, 2024, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Applications are due November 15, 2023.
 The Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Minnesota Grown are excited to host the first annual Farm to School District of the Year Contest during the month of October – which is National Farm to School Month. This new contest seeks to recognize school districts for all they do to buy, serve, and promote foods from Minnesota Grown farmers and producers.
We hope you’ll consider entering the contest! This is an opportunity to show off your Minnesota Grown pride and put a new spin on your Farm to School Month celebrations. The school district that wins first place will receive an on-site, school-focused culinary training for a small group of staff along with exclusive rights to the “Minnesota Grown Farm to School District of the Year” logo and a commemorative plaque.
Entering the contest is easy and all the details can be found online at Minnesota Grown.
- Celebrate Farm to School & Early Care Month in October and take pictures of how you celebrate! Visit www.farmtoschoolmn.org/f2smonth for ideas, information, and resources for celebrating Farm to School & Early Care Month.
- You can order free Minnesota Grown marketing materials such as posters, stickers, and label cards to use for your promotions. You can also request the Minnesota Grown Logo for self-designed promotional materials.
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Minnesota Harvest of the Month also offers free marketing materials, educational resources, and recipes.
- Submit up to 7 photos and a summary of your Farm to School Month celebrations, along with general information about how your district supports Minnesota farmers and producers.
- Contest entries must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, through the online entry portal. (Online portal will open October 1st)
Winners will be announced in mid-November!
Please reach out to Kate.Seybold@state.mn.us with any questions.
October Trivia Question: This squash is a popular Farm to School food. It's sourced from Minnesota farmers and served in cafeterias as part of K-12 school meal programs. What type of squash is it?
Send your answer to sue.knott@state.mn.us. The first two people to respond with the correct answer will win a MAITC travel mug.
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