Life & Work with Francie Wesorick of Dexter, MI

Today we’d like to introduce you to Francie Wesorick.

Francie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I began volunteering with the Dexter Community Schools Farm to School program in 2016 when I was working towards my Master Gardeners Certification. I really enjoyed working with the teaching staff and students and when a position in the program opened in 2017 I was excited to formally join the program.

Today, I’m the Dexter Farm to School Garden Coordinator. I work with the staff and students to plant and grow seeds in our school greenhouse, grow our school garden and also to teach cooking lessons in our Kitchen Classroom using the produce that we grow. We learn the whole cycle of a plant from seed to plate.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The program has not always been a smooth road, the Dexter Farm to School program is grant funded, but it has lots of community support. The program is funded by the 5 Healthy Towns Foundation, the Educational Foundation of Dexter, the Kiwanis Club and Dexter Community Schools. We also ask for donations from local businesses and have a plant sale fundraiser in the spring.

The program also had to shut down March 2020 during the Covid epidemic but returned in the spring of 2022.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m the School Garden Coordinator, I love working with the students in a project based atmosphere. We all work together to plant seeds, harvest vegetables or to cook a dish and eat together. I like to create a sense of community in my indoor and outdoor classroom spaces. Gardening and cooking are an even playing field for the students. I mainly work with 5th and 6th graders and most of them have little experience working in the Kitchen or Garden but they have lots of energy and enthusiasm.

I’m very proud of the curriculum that I’ve developed and the positive reputation of the Farm to School program. I’m proud of the flexibility that I have when teaching. I always need to have a solid plan and a good backup plan but also have the ability to pivot if needed. Children are often unpredictable and that can be challenging but it’s also what I like the most about working with children. They’re very smart and curious and I’m constantly learning new things from them.

I have a background in art and I love to bring creativity to my indoor and outdoor classrooms. There are lots of fun ways to use art in food and in the garden. Every Monday we do a garden based craft project. We’ve made fairy doors, colorful garden markers, paper lanterns, food sculptures and lots of other fun projects.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I use the Allrecipes website for recipes, I find the recipe reviews very helpful and always have good results. I love Instagram, I get lots of craft and recipe ideas from it. I also love seeing photos of other people’s gardens, that always gives me inspiration.

I use both Libby and the Audible app. I’m an avid reader but don’t have a lot of time to sit down and read so I listen to audiobooks, mostly fiction for fun. I use Spotify for music and podcasts. Kidsgardening.org has some great lesson plans that I use. They also have a Kids Gardening community forum which I find very useful. Michigan State University Extension is a great gardening resource and also where I received my Master Gardener certification. I’m also lucky to have the University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens pretty close by. I like to visit their garden spaces and their children’s garden for ideas.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dexterfarm2school.org/
• Instagram: @dexterfarm2school