students a hands-on education
while helping the culinary-arts
program become more
environmentally conscious.
working in stages
The first challenge was to find enough
space on campus for the garden. After
much thought, the school decided
to use space in front of an underutilized
amphitheater. Soon, concrete in the
pit area was removed, the space was
filled in and the dirt was prepared
for a garden. In 2010, the spring and
summer growing season proved the
garden was a success, with a harvest
of seven different heirloom tomato
varieties, peppers, sweet potatoes
and herbs.
The school had an established paper
and newsprint recycling program in
place, but no established effort for the
culinary-arts program. To reduce waste,
students and professors added large
donated plastic bins for students to
discard glass, cans and plastic. So far,
they have collected several hundred
pounds of glass, aluminum, plastic and
cardboard. Now, the school barely fills
one small dumpster a week, compared
with two in the past.
At first, finding funds to cover costs
associated with the garden and
composter seemed daunting. However,
with the help of the WVNCC
Foundation and its executive director
Emily Fisher, the project’s budget
was met quickly. A $5,000 grant
was presented to the culinary-arts
department from the Elizabeth Stifel
Kline Foundation, a local philanthropic
organization, and by the end of 2010,
the Green Initiative was accomplished.
teach as you grow
As a chef who is passionate about
using locally grown products, the
first year of the Green Initiative
provided me with countless teaching
opportunities. Respect for the program
has also grown in our area, which is
well populated with farmers’ markets
and people concerned about the
food they eat, the energy they use
and the waste they produce.
The Green Initiative is just getting
started. Recently, the WVNCC
Foundation awarded the program an
additional $10,000, enabling us to
research ways to extend our garden’s
growing season. After talking with
several farmers, the program has its
sights set on a high tunnel greenhouse
capable of holding temperatures
above 80-90°F. This would provide an
additional three months of growing
time in the spring and three months
after fall to grow kale, arugula, cabbages
and herbs to use in school kitchens.
Being at the forefront of these new
sustainable efforts is gratifying. As
a result of the program, WVNCC
students now have proof that “going
green” is a dimension of culinary arts
that’s here to stay.
Gene Evans, CEC, lives in Steubenville, Ohio,
and is a chef-instructor at West Virginia
Northern Community College. To learn
more about the school, visit wvncc.edu.
opposite: Audra Bowman, a
second-year student at the
school who helps with planting
and garden maintenance,
makes sure to recycle used items.
top: Amanda Doty, a second-year
student who helped develop
the recycling project, at the school’s
compost area.
bottom: Produce abounds
in WVNCC’s Culinary Arts Garden.
