 Our Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) team is celebrating the 2026-27 school year by featuring an awesome teacher who uses agriculture as content for teaching and learning each month. Our October featured teacher is Ms. Kari Carlson!
Ms. Carlson, a first grade teacher at Sebeka Elementary, influences students’ futures beyond the classroom and connects them with local agriculture to learn where their food comes from.
Ms. Carlson’s most-used MAITC lessons include:
To learn more about Ms. Carlson, visit our Teacher Feature webpage.
October is Farm to Kids Month! Join us in celebrating all the ways we can connect kids to local food—from serving it on lunch trays to teaching about it in classrooms. Our 2026 theme is "Thank You, Farmers!", and we encourage you to give special thanks to the local farmers who help make this work possible.
Celebrate Farm to Kids Month by:
- Participating in the Great Apple Crunch
- Serving Minnesota Grown or Raised food
- Writing thank-you cards to local farmers
- Teaching an agriculture-themed lesson
For more celebration ideas and resources, check out our Farm to Kids Month webpage. And make sure to register to let us know how you'll be celebrating!
When: Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, from 3:45-4:45 p.m.
What: Discover the science beneath our feet by exploring soil health! This engaging professional development session for K–12 educators will investigate soil health and the essential functions soil provides for plants, people, and the environment. Through live demonstrations and conversations with soil health experts, participants will gain practical knowledge, classroom-ready ideas, and resources to use soil health as an engaging context for learning in science and social studies.
Thirty participants will receive a set of soil samples to use in their own classroom. Please note: these samples are different from our soil lesson kits that were distributed at the Growing Minds Conference and last year's soil professional development session.
Who: Two amazing presenters!
-
Stephanie McLain is the soil health specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Minnesota, where she promotes soil health management through education and outreach. She works with farmers, landowners, conservation partners, and policy leaders. Stephanie grew up on a dairy farm near Leota, Minnesota, and has 24 years of NRCS experience across five states.
-
Bailey Tangen is a University of Minnesota Extension educator focused on soil health and water resources, working with Minnesota farmers to improve soil function, productivity, and resilience. She develops and delivers research-based education through field days, workshops, conferences, soil assessments, and hands-on projects.
 Are you a kindergarten teacher who wants to bring more agriculture into your classroom? The Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Kindergarten Cohort will bring together up to 25 kindergarten teachers from across Minnesota to learn, share ideas, and support one another throughout the school year.
This cohort is designed to be a place where kindergarten teachers can connect with other teachers who are interested in using agriculture for student learning, sharing what is working in their classrooms, and getting ideas and support from one another. The cohort will be led by three Minnesota kindergarten teachers who are passionate about bringing agriculture into their classrooms and will help guide conversations and sessions throughout the year.
 |
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 annually to an educator currently engaged in classroom instruction at the K-12 grade level and recognizes the teacher for their 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 28-July 1, 2027, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
 The MAITC Foundation is excited to provide cash awards to K-12 educators through the Agricultural Literacy Grant Program. The goal of the program is to give students opportunities to experience agriculture through cross-curricular learning. Grants can support projects that integrate agriculture and food systems into the classroom, take students on field trips to agricultural sites, or otherwise bring agricultural education to life.
Funding is available for new ideas as well as enhancements to existing events and activities. FFA chapters and 4-H programs are also eligible to apply for grants that promote agricultural literacy among students in their communities.
October Trivia Question: What is Minnesota's official state soil?
Send your answer to sue.knott@state.mn.us. The first two people to respond with the correct answer will each win a MAITC reusable shopping bag.
|
