WOODBURY – Kindergarten and first grade students in Catherine Siefert’s class at Woodbury Elementary School visited Sterling College to learn about farm-to-food systems, on Monday, Oct. 27.
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The visit was part of a project that will culminate with their working with the Woodbury School’s sixth grade class to put on a community meal.
The week before they and their sixth grade buddies visited the monthly Hardwick community meal at the United Church of Hardwick that is prepared by Hazen Union School students in Reeve Basom’s Recipe for a Human Connection class. During the meal they interviewed the high school students about what it takes to put on a community meal.
At Sterling College they saw how food is grown, processed and then served as nutritious meals for the college students and staff.
During their visit they tasted broccoli flowers, cauliflower and freshly picked apples.
They were introduced to fungiculture (growing mushrooms) and harvested shiitake and oyster mushrooms from logs.
They visited the Sterling sugarhouse, met sheep, cows and even resident barn cats that call the farm home.
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David Baker, OSSU Superintendent of Schools wrote in a recent newsletter that, “Students are exploring every step of the food system — from farming and transportation to processing, purchasing, consumption and waste management. The 6th graders are also studying economics and restaurant management to understand what it takes to run a successful food business.
The class visited Black Bird Bistro in Craftsbury November 4 to help prepare for hosting their own Woodbury restaurant night.
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Baker said, “We’re thrilled to partner with Blackbird Bistro, Peltz Creative, Baker’s Bench and the Center for an Agricultural Economy to make this meaningful, hands-on experience possible and share a delicious meal together.”
At the meal taking place on November 18, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., they will celebrate all they’ve learned. Attendance will be by reservation, with Woodbury students and their families receiving first access.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
