Welcome to MFAI, Renesha Muchapondwa!

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute is proud to welcome Renesha Muchapondwa as our new Food and Nutrition Systems Coordinator.

Renesha’s initial focus at MFAI will be our Farm to School partnership with Milwaukee Public Schools, which is launching in ten schools this fall and up to 40 schools by 2027. In the coordinator role, she will strengthen connections between schools, farmers, teachers, students, and community partners. 

It’s work she already knows well. In a previous Farm to School role with Rooted, in Madison, WI, Renesha coordinated nutrition and garden-based learning for youth and their families. 

MFAI’s new Farm to School initiative is an exciting evolution of our Milwaukee Urban Agriculture Network (MUAN) work. This broad partnership is funded by a two-year United States Department of Agriculture Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant. As the lead organization, MFAI is working with Milwaukee Public Schools, Wisconsin Food Hub, Fork Farms, and local producers on a multi-pronged local procurement and education program.

The partners will work collaboratively to implement a standards-aligned curriculum that incorporates hydroponic greens grown in schools, giving students hands-on learning opportunities. They will also serve student-grown greens and locally produced food in school lunches and offer taste tests. The initiative will launch in 20 schools this fall and expand to as many as 40 schools by 2027. There will also be an evaluation and research component to help guide the development of future Farm to School efforts.

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As someone born and raised in Milwaukee, Renesha brings experience and education at the intersection of nutrition, public health, education, and community food systems. She is currently completing a Master of Science in Community Medical Dietetics at Viterbo University in Lacrosse, WI and serves as a Dietetic Specialist with Public Health of Madison and Dane County where she connects families with housing, nutrition and mental health support resources. 

When Renesha talks about food systems, she tends to come back to the same place. Renesha’s mother instilled in her a strong ethos of volunteerism, and as a young person, she spent time volunteering at food pantries. Years later, after experiences ranging from diabetes awareness and prevention work to a natural food systems project in Guatemala, getting good food to people still holds a special place in her heart.

“Farm to School excites me because it creates a tangible connection between the farm, the classroom, and the plate. It turns food education into something young people can grow, taste, and understand. It’s an opportunity to cultivate healthier children, while helping build a stronger and more connected local food system.” -Renesha Muchapondwa

Renesha’s arrival will help MFAI build stronger connections with schools and young people, markets, eaters, and communities in Milwaukee. These relationships are an important part of our vision for a food and farming system that is more resilient, equitable, and rooted in community.

Renesha’s relationship with agriculture is becoming personal, too. An emerging farmer herself, she lives on five acres with her husband and four children in Brookfield. Each year they are growing more in their garden and learning as they go. 

We are delighted to have Renesha’s warm energy, professional experience, and fresh perspective at MFAI. Stay tuned as we share more in the next few weeks about our Milwaukee Farm to School initiative!