written by Molly Farrell, UMN Student Intern ‘22

Everyone who eats engages in the food system. Understanding food systems is essential for understanding human health, social equity, and the environment. The lower adolescent Culinary Arts course at Great River School promotes this knowledge through holistic and experiential education. This school year, Tami Limberg, Jenny Breen, and Mel Hammond have partnered to pilot this class. Together they teach the 7th and 8th grade students fundamental cooking skills, kitchen safety, nutrition guidelines, food sustainability practices, and broader food systems issues in the kitchen and the classroom.

Over the past several months, I have had the opportunity to connect with and support kitchen programming at GRS. As a Food Systems student at the University of Minnesota, I proudly endorse the Culinary Arts course and its mission to promote critical thinking in the kitchen. Looking forward, climate change, land access and food choices will continue to impact the future of food security. This class introduces lower adolescent students to these complex ideas through hands-on, project-based learning. Incorporating food systems and culinary education in GRS curriculum is an important step in promoting a generation of holistic, lifelong learners.

Consider supporting kitchen programs like these by pre-ordering from-scratch school lunch today.