Midwest Food Connection

Access to healthy food is under attack - and so is food education.

The Sahan Journal reports that 60 food educators in Minnesota are losing their jobs with the elimination of SNAP-Ed, a program that paired with SNAP benefits and educated families about building nutritious meals. This means that Midwest Food Connection is one of the last food education resources left for kids and families in the Twin Cities.

This school year is Midwest Food Connection’s 30th year teaching food education to students across the Twin Cities and beyond. Even after decades of teaching, we continue developing our curriculum to include more culturally-relevant foods and cooking traditions that reflect the students we teach.

In the past year, we have:

• Partnered with local Hmong and Indigenous food leaders to develop lessons centered on cultural food traditions in Minnesota*
• Piloted lessons themed on topics like Hmong Herbs and Spices, and Indigenous Conservation
• Expanded our Smart Eating for You and the Planet unit with new lessons focused on climate change and reducing food and plastic waste

Will you make a donation to ensure this critical work continues when it's needed most? Last year, we taught 4,500 students. Your Give to the Max contribution will make a positive impact on thousands of students across the Twin Cities. Help us reach our goal of $3,000 by the end of Give to the Max Day on November 20. 

Thank you for supporting Midwest Food Connection and Twin Cities students!

You can learn more about what we do on our website and keep up with what we're working on through Instagram and Facebook.

Students at Mhonpaj's Garden, the first Hmong-owned organic farm in Minnesota.Students in the process of making a Hmong dessert with squash and coconut milk.Students with firefly dolls made of corn husks in the Indigenous Conservation lesson.

*This work is made possible in part by the people of Minnesota through a grant funded by an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.