Bread in a Bag in Roosevelt County

Published: 2022
By Ardis Oelkers

Making Honey Whole Wheat Bread in a Bag is an event for area fifth-grade students. MSU Extension Agents worked cooperatively with North Dakota State University Extension to assemble bread kits for North Dakota and Montana students. Students from Bainville, Culbertson and Froid teamed with a partner to mix bread ingredients in a large “mixing bag.” The students learned about local commodities such as honey, canola, and flour, their function, and the nutritive value of whole wheat bread and whole grain products. They developed skills in kneading bread and why forming bread dough is important to achieving a quality product. The youth baked the loaf of bread at home and shared it with their family and were encouraged to teach other family members how to make homemade bread. Family meals are important, and research indicates that children who eat more family meals do better in school. They are less likely to participate in risky behaviors such as drug or alcohol use and smoking, and they have fewer depressive symptoms. Having a family meal and sharing homemade bread is also a good way to incorporate whole grains into the diet. A post-event questionnaire determined that 84 percent of the students plan to make bread again. More than 70 percent of the students will share their bread with family and friends, and 82 percent were able to identify two or more ingredients in bread grown in our region.