From Farms to Forks 9 Thank You!

A thank you from our Growing Chefs! Founder, Merri Schwartz

From Farms to Forks Nine, you’ve come in with the harvest,
When chefs fill their pots and our farms work their hardest.
And before we head off to eat, drink, and make merry,
A quick list of thanks—for we’re grateful—yes, very!

The usual thanks go out firstly to PICA,
We’re here, you’re our hosts, and we’re so pleased to see ya.
Next, danke, Whole Foods, for your generous presence,
Merci Mission Hill for wine pairings in abundance.

Thanks for top sales go to Stania and Devi,
You drummed up the crowds and sold tickets so many.
A happiest birthday to dear Peter Blitz,
He set up the sound to hear poems—such as this.

And now to our chefs we say please take a bow,
Your work and your skill is a pure, fervent “wow”!
Hands over hearts, to our growers, salute!
You bring forth the bounty—veggie, meat, wine, and fruit.

Our volunteer team, you just blow us away,
Bar, wine, service, auction, door—we’d not be here today,
Without your time and your effort, and still more to list:
Fundraisers, photographers, and spouses—we blow you a kiss!

To Robbyn for bringing your management flair,
To Margaret and Fred, you are always the pair,
Who bring us to life, and engage us each year,
The kids whose stories may inspire a tear.

Our bushel sponsors—many—who donated in kind,
Tea, cheese, bread and soda—no better you’ll find.
Moody Ales and Strange Fellows have brought beer for your cup,
Thanks silent auction donors---now go snatch that stuff up!

For spirits and chocolate, thank Victoria and Mink,
From Pedersen’s the dishes—it just makes you think,
How many it takes to throw an event such as ours,
Our staff and our board—you’re each one true stars.

To Earth’s Own and to Telus, you bought tickets a-plenty,
SVP for support—you guide us so gently.
SpencerCreo: our office, and for the raffle--WestJet,
The list is tremendous—I’m not done quite yet!
Fiona for designing a program so stylish,
Artona for printing and fulfilling each wish.

Our media sponsors: Daily Hive, Edible, and Scout,
You spread the word to make sure we sell out.
And last but not least a big hand one and all,
You’re here and the poem’s done—now go have a ball!

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10 Skills Kids Learn While Cooking

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This summer, Growing Chefs! joined the THINK&EATGREEN@SCHOOL Summer Institute  at UBC to teach a workshop called "How to Bring the Kitchen into the Classroom". Our goal was to help and support teachers wanting to bring food and food literacy into their classroom conversations. We shared how we manage to teach cooking in a classroom without an actual kitchen and we did a few of our favourite classroom activities. During the workshop, we gave examples how cooking can mirror and build on current curriculum already taught in the classroom.

Cooking can teach children (and adults too!) so many great skills. Here are a few examples:

LANGUAGE
Reading, writing, and verbal communication through recipes.Increases vocabulary and introduces children to other languages (sauté - French / bagel - Yiddish / ect.).

GEOGRAPHY AND CULTURE
Explore where different types of foods are from, diets of different cultures, mapping the food miles of a meal, and the path food must travel to our plate.

AGRICULTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY
How and where different foods grow. Discussing food miles, how to reduce waste (packaging and food waste).

MATH
Following a recipe includes counting, fractions, and measuring. Many kitchen skills relate to shapes and spatial reasoning (cutting, plating). Opportunities to introduce budgeting.

SCIENCE
Parts of the plant, parts of an animal (cuts of meat). Making observations and exploring food using our five senses. Opportunities for experimenting and making predictions. Chemistry - physical and chemical reactions in the kitchen (bread rising, bread to toast, emulsification etc). 

HISTORY
What people ate in the past and why. Opportunities to explore different food preparation methods/tools and how this has impacted our diet.

HEALTH AND SAFETY
Understanding nutrition, food safety, and cleanliness.

CREATIVITY
Exploring new foods, creating recipes, food as art (plating). 

SOCIAL SKILLS
Responsibility, cooperation, sharing, self-esteem, and patience.
AND CONFIDENCE!

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