This summer, as our Learning Garden blossoms with bountiful, fresh fruits and vegetables, our Sylvia Center team has partnered with local food-focused organizations to bring virtual cooking classes (and farm fresh ingredients!) to families in Columbia County.
In partnership with Philmont Cooperative, we are able to offer weekly farm fresh meal kits with virtual family cooking classes to local Columbia County families. Each week, families with children of all ages cook along with our Sylvia Center chef to make a delicious meal with locally sourced ingredients, as well as explore topics ranging from seasonality of food to knife skills and sanitation in the kitchen. Eleanor, mother of Charlotte (13), commented on the class: “Cooking brings my daughter and I closer. We discuss the process and the ingredients. When preparing foods, my daughter uses the techniques she learned from Chef Selina.”
Using a similar model, The Sylvia Center also offers weekly virtual family classes using recipe kits with fresh ingredients from our Sylvia Center Learning Garden and Katchkie Farm. Sherri shared with us, “Thank you so much for such a fun cooking class tonight. It was delish and Mollye (8) really enjoyed the class. Plus, she used a knife for the first time and tried both asparagus and radishes…and liked them!” If you are interested in participating, visit our website to learn how you can join our next virtual classes on July 8th and 10th!
Be sure to check our social media channels – Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter – over the next few weeks for updates from the kitchen!
We are able to provide bountiful produce from our Learning Garden due to the generous support of seven dedicated volunteers who help provide daily maintenance of our Learning Garden and cooking pavilion spaces. Our volunteers have been busy weeding, planting, and helping with pest management in order to make our Learning Garden a nurturing space for all of our fruits and veggies. So far, we have harvested strawberries, peas, spring garlic, garlic scapes, asparagus, and rhubarb that are used in our recipe kits and virtual family cooking classes.
By teaching the basics of healthy cooking and eating, our communities are able to establish independent, healthy eating habits that last a lifetime.
Together, we can empower our students and families to lead healthy, full lives.
