Melissa Hronkin

The local food systems triptych mural.

Celebrating local food systems benefits schoolwide wellness and strengthens community. On the shores of Lake Superior, in Michigan’s Rural Upper Peninsula, our growing season is very short. Over 400 miles north of Chicago, Houghton Elementary School’s art students were inspired by our food service director’s passion to facilitate a vibrant farm-to-school and summer meal program. Experiential learning through farmer visits led to students designing and creating a mural in our cafeteria.

Project Objectives
Food scarcity is real in our region. We set out to explore how art can address and strengthen relationships in local food systems to enhance empathy and equity, diversity, and inclusion. Our goals were to build community through exploring our local food systems while promoting schoolwide wellness.

When kids can put a face to the farmer and everyone else involved in our food systems, they become more mindful as they make food choices.

We set out to bridge the gap between students and the farmers who grow their food. This project was the result of learning how to implement Culturally Responsive Sustainable Education (CRSE) in my art curriculum and school. When kids can put a face to the farmer and everyone else involved in our food systems, they become more mindful as they make food choices.

Farmer Visits
The unit started with experiential learning through tasting, smelling, touching, and observing fresh fruits and vegetables. Guest farmers visited our school and shared their produce and knowledge with students. By engaging all of the senses, students gained a greater appreciation and sense of empathy for farmers and food service workers. These experiences led to students designing and creating our local food systems mural.

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