What happens when you bring together farmers, chefs, educators, food-safety professionals, and a team of school culinary professionals who are eager to learn?
You get three incredible days of hands-on learning, teamwork, creativity, and a whole lot of great food!
In August, our Culinary Team came together for our annual Culinary Boot Camp, and this year we were fortunate to welcome some very special guests who shared their knowledge, skills, and passion with us.
Emily from Lucky Day Homestead helped us explore the connection between the garden and the kitchen. Our team learned how to prepare mini hand pies in bulk, including both savory and sweet varieties — skills we hope to put to use for a future student Mini Pie Bar! Emily also taught us about herbs and their culinary and traditional uses, starting seedlings, seasonal growing, and ways to keep our school gardens productive throughout the year.
Ryan from Dirt Rich Farms, a Master Gardener and Chef, brought the farm directly into our kitchen! Ryan and his wife grow organic produce locally, and he walked our team through the journey from healthy, nutrient-dense soil to growing, harvesting, preparing, and ultimately presenting food on the plate. Ryan’s recipes were Ryan’s kohlrabi sandwiches and Pozole Verde. He brought an amazing assortment of freshly harvested produce for our staff to see, touch, taste, and learn about — giving us an even greater appreciation for the work that goes into the local foods we serve our students.
Our friends from Erie County PERP joined us for hands-only CPR training, giving our team an opportunity to practice skills that extend well beyond the kitchen and can make a difference when every second counts.
Chef Justin from General Mills took us on another culinary adventure as we explored whole grains in entirely new ways. Our staff learned how whole-grain ingredients can move far beyond the traditional applications we may think of — from appetizers and savory dishes to entrées and delicious desserts. Most importantly, we talked about how those techniques can translate into creative, student-friendly school meals.
We also spent time strengthening the professional side of our work through training with NYSED and LunchAssist, while continuing to build our knowledge of school nutrition, regulations, and best practices.
And, of course, Boot Camp wouldn’t be Boot Camp without some FUN! Our team put communication, listening, leadership, and teamwork to the test with our “YES, CHEF!” team-building challenge. There was plenty of laughter — and maybe just a little friendly competition!
We finished our Boot Camp with an unforgettable visit with Paul Davies of Davies Hillside Farms at his butcher shop. Paul walked our team through processing a quarter side of beef, demonstrating primal cuts, subprimal cuts, specialty cuts, and the craftsmanship involved in whole-animal butchery.
One of the most valuable lessons was understanding the importance of using the whole animal and minimizing waste. Paul showed us specialty cuts that many of us had never seen before and explained why some are rarely found in a typical meat case — the time and skill required to produce them mean he often reserves them for special orders. We also learned about his pork, chicken, and beef sausages, as well as the lamb and goat products available through his operation.
These three days represented exactly where we want our Culinary Program to continue heading: connecting the farm to the cafeteria, building real culinary skills, strengthening our team, reducing waste, supporting local producers, and giving our students delicious food with a story behind it.
A huge THANK YOU to all of our special guests who took the time to teach, demonstrate, answer questions, and share their expertise with us — and an equally big thank-you to our Culinary Team for showing up ready to learn, participate, laugh, taste, ask questions, and try something new.
Our kitchens may be where the meals are prepared, but opportunities like these remind us that great school food begins long before something reaches a student’s tray.
We can’t wait to take what we learned at Boot Camp and bring it into our kitchens this school year!
Lastly, please join us in thanking all of our SGI Culinary staff who made the Summer Food Program possible, providing fresh and nutritious meals to our students over the summer! This year, they opened a new site at Colden Elementary to serve families in the northern part of the district, along with the Springville Middle School site. They served a total of 16,221 meals in 30 days!