KChefFrmOutreach w/Catrina photo
Chance to serve knowledge; what farmers bring to the table
BY KAY SHIPMAN
FarmWeek
Tomatoes with a green stem are questionable, and one with a leaf becomes an oddity worthy of class discussion. Welcome to a classroom of budding high school chefs.
Recently,FarmWeek explored outreach opportunities for farmers at three culinary programs in two junior colleges and an area vocational center for high school students. The chefs and culinary instructors represent Joliet Junior College (JJC), Illinois Central College (ICC) in East Peoria, and the Capitol Area Vocational Center (CAVC) in Springfield.
Introducing high school students, who are pursuing culinary careers, to where their food comes from is “a new awakening for many of them,” said CAVC Culinary Arts Instructor Debbie Burtle, who is married to a farmer.
“For some, it’s a real eye-opener when we talk about meat cuts. They’ll say, ‘It comes off a real animal?’” Burtle said.
Junior college culinary students also miss the link between food and farms, according to JJC Culinary Professor and Chef Paul Bringas.
“I think most students at this point don’t get the grower to buyer thing,” Bringas said. “They walk into a store, and produce is pretty, stacked up and neat. Overall, I don’t think there’s a real connection with Farmer Jones on a label.”
In July, Illinois Farm Bureau melded culinary and agriculture in an educational event that was a first for Bringas. State and county Farm Bureau staff and Bringas recently explored future outreach opportunities.
“Chefs are so influential. They buy food and serve it to people who visit their establishments. I think it’s a great opportunity for us to help chefs, chef instructors and their students,” said Linda Olson, IFB consumer communications specialist.
The type of information needed may vary depending on the students’ ages, according to their instructors.
High school students use food-related buzzwords, such as GMO and organic, but Burtle speculated understanding those terms “seems to be over their heads.” Rather than food nuances, Burtle focused first on basic knowledge, including the animal source of different proteins. “They think ground beef is from a pig,” she noted.
ICC culinary students may be curious about animal care, said Associate Professor and Chef Charles Robertson.Students wonder how cattle are treated by farmers, which relates to the future chefs’ concerns about using that beef, Robertson explained. “How do you treat them (in a way) that might make me feel more comfortable” about preparing meat from those animals, he added.
Students aren’t the only ones with questions. Bringas acknowledged his own questions about food terms and labels. “GMO, what is it? Is organic better? Is free range better? There’s so much information -- how to discern what is better?” he said, adding chefs are consumers who buy food for their families as well as their restaurants.
Farmers also benefit from conversations with some prime consumers -- chefs and future chefs. Bringas and Robertson agreed farmers could gain a better understanding of chefs’ perspective of raw ingredients, desired characteristics and other factors.
All three culinary instructors expressed interest in using farm and ag-related information, and possibly working with farmers.
Bringas threw out the ideas of having a farmer speak to his students and finding local sources of food his students could work with. Robertson said he’s interested in collaborating with farmers: “Let’s get rid of assumptions and misunderstandings we both have.”
Burtle suggested written materials would work well for her students from 22 local high schools. “I think reaching out to students would be a good way to educate families,” she added.
“Chefs are always learning and improving ourselves. There is always more to gain,” said ICC’s Robertson.
“The main thing is establishing relationships (with consumers) because research shows attitudes change when they’re able to talk to farmers,” Olson added.
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