For school and camp groups:

Farm Programs (Kinderhook, NY)
Hudson Square cooking workshops (NYC)
In-school or community center workshop series (NYC)

For the general public:
On-farm Family Programs (Katchkie Farm,Kinderhook, NY)
School Holiday Cooking Camp (Hudson Square, NYC)
Private Cooking Classes (Hudson Square, NYC)

Find out more/sign up

DAY AT THE FARM PROGRAMS for school and camp groups (Katchkie Farm, Kinderhook, NY) The Sylvia Center at Katchkie Farm connects children and teenagers with farms and food by providing experiential garden-to-table programs. Katchkie is a sixty-acre organic vegetable farm in Kinderhook, NY. Visiting children experience a working farm in operation with over ten acres of land in cultivation and over 9,000 square feet of greenhouses.

Fresh Food Comes From the Farm (first grade through high school)
Program length: 3 hours
Days/hours of operation: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Small group fees: $250 for 25 or fewer; $10 for each additional child
Large group fees: $500 for a full school bus.

This three-hour experiential program, held May through October, introduces young people ages 7 to 18 years to seasonal cooking and gardening activities. Basic gardening skills such as planting, weeding, harvesting and composting connect children with the origins of food and the cycles of nature. Additional activities include a farm tour and a visit with the chickens.  Students help instructors transform the harvested vegetables into a healthy lunch, including salad and seasonal entree.  Children leave with a better understanding of how food grows and with the ability to assist their families in preparing meals.

See, Touch, and Taste (preschool and kindergarten)
Program length: 3 hours
Days/hours of operation: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Small group fees: $250 for 25 or fewer; $10 for each additional child. Large group fees: $500 for a full school bus.
Children actively participate in the growth and preparation of a seasonal meal.  Basic gardening skills such as planting, weeding, harvesting and composting connect children with the origins of food and the cycles of nature. Seeds for the  seeding activity are large enough for small hands to plant easily. Students help instructors transform the harvested vegetables into lunch in the outdoor field kitchen. Additional activities include a farm tour and a visit with the chickens.

Seed-to-Plate Program (middle school)
Program length: 90 minutes
Days/hours of operation: Monday-Friday after school
Fee: $3000 for ten sessions

During the school months of May, June, late August, September and October, one class from a local middle school visits the farm every other week to participate in a 90-minute gardening and cooking activity.  Over these five months, the students visit the farm for a total of ten lessons that are complementary and seasonal. Topics include spring seeding and transplanting, environmentally friendly garden maintenance, composting, seasonal harvesting and cooking, fall seeding and fall garden tasks.

On-Farm Family Program
Program length: three hours
Days/hours of operation: One Saturday per month, May through October
Fee: $30/parent-child pair

One Saturday every month, May through October, ten parent-child pairs engage in gardening, cooking and sharing a meal together.  Participants can come to all programs or just one. Recipes and activities vary throughout the season, making repeat visits more rewarding.

Veggie of the Month (K – 12)
Program length: 90 minutes
Days/hours of operation: Monthly, at schools, youth group sites, and after-school organizations  November – May. Monthly, at farmer’s markets May – October.
Fee: $10/child

SYLVIA CENTER, NYC

Hudson Square Learning Kitchen workshops for school and camp groups
Program length: 90 minutes/session
Days/hours of operation: Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Fee: $10/child

Children connect to the joy of eating fresh food by participating actively in its preparation. Our chef instructors are trained to engage children through hands-on activities and lively discussion of essential concepts such as seasonality, plant behavior, food history, and cultural awareness. Each class focuses on two or three mostly plant-based recipes. Knife skills and other essential techniques are taught carefully and thoroughly. Students are given the day’s recipes after class and parents are strongly encouraged to prepare them at home.

Sylvia Center in Schools and Community Centers
Program length: 60-90 minutes/session
Days/hours of operation: Monday-Friday after school
Fees: variable; please call for information

This multi-session (up to 12 lessons) after-school curriculum teaches culinary skills and nutritional awareness using healthy, seasonal plant-based recipes that children can easily reproduce at home. When possible, simple gardening projects, field trips to local farmers’ markets and community gardens help city kids understand food’s connection to the natural environment. Take-home materials encourage families to share in the fun and join the learning process. When possible, a visit to Katchkie Farm in Kinderhook, NY is available.

Private Cooking Classes (Hudson Square Learning Kitchen) Program Length: 90 minutes
Days/hours of operation:Monday – Friday, after school
Fee: $50/class
Enrollment: 8 – 12 students
Minimum age: 7

A series of 8 – 12 classes for the serious young cook. Students explore the exciting world of culinary arts,  where they learn essential techniques (chopping, grating, whisking, peeling) and taste new flavors. Recipes are mostly plant-based and emphasis is placed on healthy preparations. Students make two or three recipes per class depending on complexity, and sit down to enjoy the meal at the end.

School Holiday Cooking Camp (Hudson Square Learning Kitchen)

Days/hours of operation: Daily, 9 AM – 3  PM.
June 14 – 18; June 21 – 25; June 28 – July 2.
Fee: $400/week or $100/day
Ages: 7 -13

Children learn to prepare healthy, delicious recipes from around the world, including pizza, sushi, and crepes, using fresh seasonal produce. A professional chef-instructor leads small groups (6-8 students per session) through a  mind-opening exploration of new tastes and techniques—great for kids who love trying new foods as well as those who need encouragement. We knead bread dough and watch it rise, simmer homemade tomato sauce, and make our own sorbet. Excursions to neighborhood parks, bakeries, and farmer’s markets complement the cooking curriculum. Check out what a happy Sylvia Center parent wrote to the Nation Magazine :  In June my 7-year-old daughter attended a cooking class at the Sylvia Center. They used farm fresh ingredients to make pizza, pasta, stuffed zucchini boats and barbeque sauce, not to mention some amazing fruit desserts. My daughter had a blast. Most important, she became aware of all the effort, on many people’s parts, that it takes to prepare great, healthy food. She decided for herself that the rewards made it worth it.

Parent/Child Cooking Parties

We offer benefit cooking parties for up to six children and their parents in the Sylvia Center learning kitchen. Guided by Education Director, Nina Simmons, guests prepare and enjoy a full three-course meal. Your $1500 contribution supports our programming for underserved communities throughout New York City.

Find out more/sign up
Katchkie Farm programs: email us or call 518 758 2170
New York City programs: email us or call 212 337 6057