A powerful real-world learning experience is happening at Harrison Middle School. Mrs. Stephanie Benton’s class has launched a meaningful project called Homegrown Stories, a student-led book series with a mission to shine a light on the dedicated farmers in our community and strengthen the connection between young people and agriculture.
The project began when students, Brynlee King and Ty Willmott, noticed a problem. "My students identified a lack of accessible information about farmers in our local community and the limited knowledge about where our food comes from and how we access it," says teacher Stephanie Benton. This disconnect impacts students' understanding of agriculture's vital role in our economy and culture. The Homegrown Stories project aims to close that gap by allowing students to explore, preserve, and share these often-untold narratives.
Mrs. Benton's students are now working diligently to bring agriculture to life by highlighting the story of a local farming family in our community. Thanks to generous funding from the Harrison Schools Foundation, the students have partnered with local author Brandy Mincer, who is mentoring them through the entire book production process, including leading writing workshops throughout the school year.
The first book in the series, "Farmer Jack and the Never-Ending Puzzle," highlights the story of the Burns Family. The students have been deeply involved every step of the way, conducting multiple interviews, touring their amazing farm, and just this week celebrating a major milestone!
On Monday, the Homegrown Stories team traveled to the Burns’ family farm for a photoshoot. The photo shoot also included a very special surprise: the unveiling of the cover for "Farmer Jack and the Never-Ending Puzzle" to Farmer Jack himself! "We could tell by his reaction that Farmer Jack approves!" reported the student team.
The series is truly a student-led endeavor, showcasing remarkable talent. A contest was held to find an illustrator for the first book, and the winner was 8th-grade HMS student Madelyn Sutton. Madelyn has contributed "wonderful" illustrations that bring the Burns family's story to life.
Adding another layer of student involvement, fellow Harrison Middle School student Josalyn Likes is contributing by writing the biography of the Burns family, which will appear in the back of the book.
The finished product will be a valuable resource for the whole community. Each book will come complete with lesson plans for educators. Furthermore, students are taking the lead on the marketing and sales side, planning to attend local events to sell the book and share the farmers' stories firsthand.
Keep an eye out for Homegrown Stories on their Facebook page—preorders for "Farmer Jack and the Never-Ending Puzzle" will be announced very soon! We hope these books help highlight the vital role agriculture plays, not just in our community, but across the entire state.