The Whole Carrot is a monthly e-newsletter for friends, supporters, and partners of Minneapolis Public Schools Culinary and Wellness Services brought to you by the Student Wellness team of MPS Culinary and Wellness Services--which includes Farm to School, School Gardens, Nutrition Education, Safe Routes to School, and other active living efforts. It contains wellness news, events, opportunities and more. Enjoy!
There a couple fantastic events coming up! We hope to see EVERYONE at the Jr Iron Competition Thursday night. And then again on the Let's Roll MPS bicycle ride on May 8. See you there and please help us spread the word! Details below.
JOIN US! MPS 5th annual Jr Iron Chef Competition
Join us on May 2nd for this special, fifth anniversary event!
5th annual Jr Iron Chef Competition Thursday, May 2, 2019 | 5:30-7:30pm
Chowgirls @ Solar Arts | 711 NE 15th Ave Free and open to the public!
Come cheer on our MPS middle schools students as they represent their schools and they team up local chefs for a top-chef style cooking competition!
Emcees:
Lynne Rossetto Kasper, The Splendid Table
Stephanie Hansen, The Weekly Dish The Competitors:
Team Andersen with Chef Andrew Vuong (fig+farro)
Team Anwatin with Chef Justin Sutherland (Handsome Hog)
Team Barton with Chef Tammy Wong (Rainbow Chinese)
Team Justice Page with Chef Jared Brewington (Funky Grits)
Team Northeast with Chef Zack Hable (Trio)
Team Sanford with Chef Carrie McCabe-Johnston (Nightingale)
INPUT WANTED | City of Minneapolis | Transportation Action Plan
Wish students could travel differently?
Concerned about transportation’s impact on the climate?
How can we make our streets safer?
The Minneapolis Transportation Action Plan is a 10-year action plan to guide future planning, design, and implementation of transportation projects for all people in all the ways they move around. The plan will identify specific actions for the City and its partners to take to implement the transportation vision outlined in Minneapolis 2040. YOUR INPUT IS IMPORTANT. Please consider attending one of the many community meeting about this plan taking place across the city in April.
Hennepin County is now accepting grant applications for environmental education projects that work on developing an environmental ethic and interest in environmental stewardship using environmental education best practices.
We are looking forward to our sixth annual MPS Wellness Week where we will have opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint, sample some great food, go on a bike ride with friends (and some soon-to-be friends), and connect with each other around wellness. See the Wellness Week website for ways to get involved.
FREE School Garden Training Growing It Safe: Best Practices for School Gardens Tuesday, May 7, 2019 | 4:00-5:30pm
MPS Culinary Center, 812 Plymouth Ave N
Food safety in the garden is important... and achievable! Join MPS and University of Minnesota Extension to learn about the 'why' and 'how' of food safety in the garden.
Regardless of your starting point, implementing basic food safety practices in the garden can reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses from fresh produce, help you get organized, maximize efficiency in all of your gardening practices, and provide the best possible experience for your students. The training will provide an introduction to Good Agricultural Practices, or GAPs, which are practical, science-based steps that can reduce risks of foodborne illnesses from fresh produce, such as handwashing, pre-harvest assessments, and cleaning/sanitizing harvest tools and equipment. Attendees will receive templates to create a garden food safety plan - including checklists and log sheets that are easily adapted to fit YOUR garden. This training is open to any staff, volunteer, and/or community partner involved with a MPS school garden! For more information and to RSVP, please email Kate.Seybold@mpls.k12.mn.us.
Volunteer for our spring True Food Taste Test on May 8-10! We will sampling a new Ginger Soy Pasta salad featuring fresh veggies and MPS' signature ginger and soy Sun Dragon Dressing. Volunteers will help prepare samples, distribute them to students, and generate excitement for the taste test!
Celebrate Bike & Walk to School Day on May 8 (or WEEK on May 6-10)
May 8 is National Bike to School Day and Minneapolis Public Schools will join students and families across the nation to celebrate biking and walking to/at school. Forty schools have registered their events. Thank you to all who have organized event for their schools! These events make a real difference in the health and connectedness of our community.
Even if your school isn't holding an event, plan on biking or walking to school or somewhere else next Wednesday. And join us in the afternoon on the Let's Roll MPS (details above).
May 2: 5th annual Jr Iron Chef Competition
May 7: School Garden Training
May 6-10: Spring Wellness Week
May 8: Bike & Walk to School Day, Let's Roll
May 8-10: Spring True Food Taste Tests
RECIPE of the MONTH
For more of your favorite MPS recipes, click HERE.
