Seed to Table a secondary experiential education agriculture and culinary arts curriculum The Seed to Table Curriculum was developed by Goodman Community Center is located in Madison, WI. GCC strengthens the lives of the people in its community by offering a diverse array of programs and resources for people of all ages. The center includes a teen run café, a fitness center and gym, art rooms, a large food pantry, community meals, preschool, and teen center. goodmancenter.org Community GroundWorks is an educational organization in Madison, WI. A 5-acre CSA farm, award winning youth gardening programs, a community garden and a natural areas restoration program connect people to nature and growing food. communitygroundworks.org East High School is a public school with a diverse student body serving Madison, WI. Students and teachers strive for excellence while engaging in innovative curriculum. eastweb.madison.k12.wi.us Madison East High School School This product was funded by a grant awarded under the Workforce Innovation in Regional Development (WIRED) Initiative as implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The information contained in this product was created by a grantee organization and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. All references to non-governmental companies or organizations, their services, products or resources are offered for informational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement by the Department of Labor. The product is copyrighted by the institution that created it and is intended as individual organizational non-governmental use only. Seed to Table Table of Contents Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………….…6 Part One: In the Field Unit 1: History of Agriculture Local Foods of Wisconsin ………………….……………………………………….…9 Geographic Origins of What You Eat …………………….…………..…………….…17 Historical Overview of Agriculture ……………..………….……………...……….…20 Organic vs. Conventional Farming ………………..………….…………..…….……..23 Grow Your Own Food……………………………………..…..………………………29 Who Grows Our Food? ……………………………….……………………………….31 So You Want to Be a Farmer? ………………….…………..…………..……………..35 Unit 2: Food Systems From Farm To Table: Understanding Food Systems……..……………………………39 Ecosystems & Agroecosystems…….…………..………………………………………43 Organic Farming Business Structures – Case Study: Organic Valley…………………47 Unit 3: Local Foods Eating with the Seasons………………………………………………………………...51 A Locavore Foodshed…………………………………………….…………………….56 Exploring Local Farms in WI.…….…… ………..…………………………………….60 Edible Plant Parts…………………….………………………………………..……….62 Exploring Your Local Grocery Store..…………….…………..……………………….67 Unit 4: Farm Planning Designing Your Garden………………………………………………………………...73 How Are These Crops Planted? …………………..…………………………………...76 Creating a Planting Schedule………………....………….…………..…………………78 What is a Seed? …………..……………………………………………………………81 How to Start Seeds………………………..………….…………..…………………….84 Temperature Readings in Greenhouse……………………..…………………………..88 Tracking Germination……………………………………………..…..…………….…91 Unit 5: Planting and Harvesting Spring Cultural Celebrations…………………..……………………………………….98 Fall Harvest Cultural Celebrations………………………..……….………………….102 Spring Gardening Topics ……………………..………….…………..……………….107 Direct Seeding and Transplanting…………………………..……………………….110 Harvesting Techniques….…………………………….…………..…………………114 Water Needs of Crops……………………………………....………………………..120 Nutrient Cycle: What Plants Need……………..…..………………………………...123 Compost MacroInvertebrates…………………………..…………………………….129 Compost, Recycling and Trash………………………………..……………………..132 Unit 6: Saving Food Food Preservation………………………………………..…………………………..146 Growing Garlic………………………………………………………………………155 Unit 7: Veggie of the Month Veggie of the Month: Beet…………………………………………………………..159 Veggie of the Month: Carrot……………..………….………….…..……..………...161 Veggie of the Month: Potato……………………….………..………………………163 Veggie of the Month: Rhubarb……………….………….…………..……………...165 Veggie of the Month: Pepper………………….…………..………….……………..167 Veggie of the Month: Winter Squash………………….…………..……………..…169 Veggie of the Month: Template……………………………………………………..171 Part Two: In the Kitchen Unit 1: Introduction to ―In the Kitchen‖ Food Rules…………………………………………………………………………….181 Where to Find Food…………………………………………………………………...187 Omnivore's Dilemma………………………………………………………………….193 Food Security………………………………………………………………………….198 Fair Trade……………………………………………………………………………..202 Cultural Cooking……………………………………………………………………...207 Food Entertainment…………………………………………………………………...210 Food Allergies………………………………………………………………………...214 Vegetarianism…………………………………………………………………………221 Restaurant Review…………………………………………………………………….227 Unit 2: The Ins and Outs of Preparing Meals Balanced Meal (protein, carbohydrate, vegetable)……………………………………233 Recipe (Read, Adapt, Create)…………………………………………………………239 Recipe Conversion…………………………………………………………………….253 Reading Ingredient Labels…………………………………………………………... 261 Safe Knife Handling Skills……………………………………………………………267 Salads………………………………………………………………………………….271 Soups………………………………………………………………………………….279 4 Entrées……………………………………………………………………………….290 Side Dishes…………………………………………………………………………..294 Rice…………………………………………………………………………………..297 Pasta………………………………………………………………………………….301 Desserts………………………………………………………………………………306 Iron Works Chef: Cooking Competition……………………………………………..310 Unit 3: Learning to Work as a Culinary Arts Professional Meet a Chef ………………………………………………………………………….317 Dress for Success…………………………………………………………………….322 On Time to Work…………………………………………………………………….327 Customer Service…………………………………………………………………….332 Working with the Boss……………………………………………………………….336 Tips…………………………………………………………………………………...342 Dishwashing………………………………………………………………………….347 Catering………………………………………………………………………………352 Unit 4: Science of Cooking Got Milk……………………………………………………………………………...362 Eggs…………………………………………………………………………………..372 Edible Parts of an Animal……………………………………………………………386 Salt……………………………………………………………………………………390 Fruits………………………………………………………………………………….397 Yeast and Other Leaveners…………………………………………………………...401 Sprouts………………………………………………………………………………..406 Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………………..412 5 Introduction The Seed to Table Curriculum The Seed to Table curriculum is a collaborative project between three organizations in Madison, WI - Community GroundWorks, East High School and Goodman Community Center. This experiential curriculum teaches youth valuable employment skills while they learn the life cycle of plants, from seed to table. By cultivating the natural connection between agriculture education and culinary arts classes, this curriculum makes a clear link between growing, cooking, and eating food. The lessons are multidisciplinary, focusing on science concepts while incorporating English, social studies, mathematics, and art. The lessons included in this curriculum feature a range of hands-on activities, many of which take place in the field and the kitchen. The classroom-based activities serve as introductions, extensions, and reviews of material learned by working in the agricultural or culinary settings. Seed to Table can be used as a whole curriculum or as individual lessons. Even though this was created for a class with a farm site and a commercial kitchen, many of the lessons can be adapted for use in smaller gardens or kitchens with less specialized equipment. In addition, while the lessons are written for high school-aged youth, the background information and activities can be easily modified for use with younger students. We invite you to use and adapt the curriculum to best fit your needs. In The Field The East High Youth Farm serves as our Seed to Table field site. The Youth Farm is an inclusive, collaborative project that engages a diverse population of students in a hands-on science and a vocational program focused on sustainable agriculture and service learning. Youth are actively involved in the entire process of running a small-scale organic urban farm - from raising seedlings in the East High School greenhouse to harvesting produce at the ¼ acre East High Youth Farm and packing the food for delivery to the Goodman Community Center's Food Pantry. Youth farmers strengthen food security in the community by providing fresh vegetables and volunteer hours to the food pantry, thereby building relationships with pantry consumers directly. During the school year, students work at the farm, in the greenhouse, and in the classroom to explore a variety of topics focusing on small scale urban agriculture. In the summer, youth farmers work three days a week planting, tending, harvesting, washing and packing the produce for delivery. At the end of their experience at the farm, students have acquired the skills to move into urban agriculture, landscaping, plant nursery, and environmental education jobs. 6 In the Kitchen At the Goodman Community Center, youth workers prepare food for community meals, as well as for the Iron Works Café and Working Class Catering. Students involved with these programs learn valuable life and employment skills. Students prepare over 200 meals each day for senior citizens and preschoolers. Youth staff the Iron Works Café—a coffee shop, bakery and lunch café that is open to the public. The students also run the Working Class Catering operation which provides meals to conferences and weddings that are hosted at the community center. These vocational opportunities teach students safe sanitation skills, meal planning, culinary arts, and customer service. In addition