Purdue University Fort Wayne’s (PFW) School of Education will be hosting a Farm to School Summit on the PFW campus on November 14, 2023. The event will take place in the Walb Classic Ballroom from 2:00 PM until 5:30 PM. The event will begin with a welcome by Dr. Luke Rodesiler from PFW’s Department of Teacher Education. Briana Goode the Farm to School Coordinator with the Indiana Department of Health will be the featured speaker and will discuss the scope of Farm to School efforts in Indiana.
Workshop sessions include presentations from local educators and school staff who are implementing Farm to School practices in K-12 schools in Northeast Indiana. Becky Landes from Manchester Public Schools will speak on procurement of local foods in their food service program. Jayde Grisham will lead a discussion on school gardens with educators Alex Parnin and Brody Cooke from Wabash City Schools, Nancy Bogdonanwicz from Southwest Allen County Schools, and Emily Cooke with Fort Wayne Community Schools. Gina Dundon from Fort Wayne Community Schools will speak on the topic of curriculum and talk about hydroponics and getting funding for Farm to School activities.
A panel moderated by Dr. Julia Smith from PFW’s Department of Teacher Education will discuss the recent activities in Northeast Indiana related to sustainable farming, school gardens, farm to institution, and nature-based learning. Speakers on the panel include Joe Pounds from the Forest School Teacher Institute; Isaac Wendel, a student in the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at PFW studying aquaponics under the guidance of Dr. Ahmed Mustafa; Evelyn Fiedler, an honors student from the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, who will talk on farm to fork in Northeast Indiana; Dr. Elizabeth Christian from PFW’s Department of Teacher Education, who will speak on experiential learning and school gardens; and Terri Theisen, a Master Gardener who will discuss urban gardens and garden education.
The event will also feature display tables with exhibits from local community organizations and campus partners who are working on topics related to Farm to School, school gardens, local food, and sustainability.
There will be a networking session at the end of the event for educators and community partners to connect and discuss common interests around local food.
Organization of the Farm to School Summit was led by Dr Julia Smith from PFW’s Department of Teacher Education in partnership with Jayde Grisham of Purdue Extension of Allen County, Kylee Bennet with Northeast Indiana Farm to School Team, and Janet Katz with Northeast Indiana Local Food Network. We are grateful to the many volunteers who have come forward to help organize and support the event. We are also grateful to the Department of Teacher Education at PFW for providing funding.
