Artwork celebrating agriculture and local foods will be unveiled as part of the celebration at the 2023 Wing Annual Harvest Fest this Sunday. Attendees of the Harvest Fest will get a first look at a Farm to School Agricultural Heritage Mural at 3 PM on October 1.
The Farm to School mural will live on the future City Hall of Wing. The mural’s artwork speaks to the longtime pulse of rural communities: women’s and men’s robust gardens, feeding neighbors, schools, and roadside stands.
“Art-based modes of communication make information clearer and more accessible, memorable, and shareable,” said Katie Johnke, a coordinating partner who supported the project. “We hope this mural continually connects anyone who views it to a sense of support for local foods and their community. Everyone benefits from linking communities to their local farmers and growers. Support for farm to school efforts helps foster resiliency and sustainability in our food systems by building stronger, healthier communities.”
North Dakota’s strong agricultural heritage began with farmers utilizing their Indigenous homelands. The first farmers in the region pioneered seed saving and employed the ‘3 Sisters’ method of agriculture. With the arrival of European settlers and immigrants who established settler colonist farms because of the Homestead Act of 1860, other techniques and methods were employed. These results have been incorporated into the mural: diverse plant life and cultures that co-exist in a garden incorporating painting and mosaic glasswork.
The project’s concept sprung from a request this past spring at a Burleigh County Commission meeting, Public Health portfolio holder Commissioner Becky Matthews requested some of the great work being done in Bismarck make its way into rural Burleigh County. Her request led to a partnership with Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health; Northern Plains Heritage Foundation; Department of Public Instruction; the Burleigh County chapter of Farmers Union; North Dakota Farmers Union; Local Wing artists Ali Hein, Ella Swenson, and regional artist Molly McLain; Mayor Julie Hein and the City of Wing. With the Farm to School Agriculture Heritage Mural coming to fruition, it will perhaps inspire future installations that will continue to leave a positive impact on the community.