Garden2Table and the "Real Food Movement"

On November 10th, Garden2Table teamed up with Hellmann's Canada to host an extraordinary afternoon dedicated solely to FOOD! G2T recently received a grant of $10,000 from Hellmann's, coinciding with their "Real Food Movement" on teaching children and their families about eating healthy, homemade foods. 
Having already visited the Guelph Center for Urban Organic Farming this fall, St.Ignatius of Loyola's class of eager grade sevens was finally able to take what they had learned from the garden... to the table! With help from celebrity Chef Chuck Huges (winner of Iron Chef Canada, host of The Food Network's t.v. show, "Chuck's Day Off", and owner of several Montreal restaurants), the students were able to enjoy preparing and sharing a four course meal at the MacDonald Institute's kitchen facility at the University of Guelph. 
Beginning with a Hellmann's recipe for salad dressing, each student was able to measure the ingredients and assemble their very own "take-home" mason jar to share with their friends and family. Next, everyone broke into groups to prepare more items such as the Hellmann's Grilled Cheese and spicy dipping sauce, a fresh watermelon and beat salad with ingredients straight from the garden, and delicious nut-free granola bars for dessert. After a lot of hustle and bustle, laughter and occasional sneaking of chocolate chips, everyone sat down communally to enjoy the wonderful meal they had worked so hard to prepare. The afternoon was a fantastic way for the students to cook and taste real food. Some of the students even shared that they had never cooked anything on their own before, but are now motivated and excited to try!
   

Thank you to all of the volunteers that came to help cook that day including parents, teachers and students. And thank you to Hellmann's for helping make the day such a success!  

The "Buzz" Around G2T

There's something new going on with Garden2Table which is creating a lot of "buzz"!

The program has recently begun working with the campus Honey Bee Research Centre and staff apiarist Paul Kelly. These facilities are typically used for bee breeding, research, production, and education. Student groups from both St. Ignatius and Jean Little were recently invited to visit the research centre to learn more about bees and how that sweet honey gets into their sandwiches each day!

The students were fascinated by an engaging lecture, from Mr. Kelly, detailing the inner workings of honey bee hives and debunking many common misconceptions about our bee producing little friends. They were then able to witness the hives first hand when Mr. Kelly took apart an actual nest for the students to see. Finally, students were shown how the honey was produced within the modest facilities available and even given a taste of some of their delicious honey!

Garden2Table is very excited to have this new addition to the program. It was obvious during these visits that the students learned a lot and had a great time. Showing the children where items such as honey are produced has a lot of educational value and will surely attribute to a healthier future!

It's That Time of Year Again!

                                                                              
 'Tis the season to harvest and reap the benefits of hard work! This fall Garden2Table hosted two school visits in the garden, where St. Ignatius of Loyola's grade 7 class and Jean Little school's grade 3/4 class enjoyed digging for heirloom carrots, picking many varieties of tomatoes, gathering ground cherries and even tasting some ripening raspberries! Thanks to the beautiful weather, we have been very fortunate in getting as much produce as possible from what was planted earlier this spring.

Garden2Table would also like to announce a very special partnership with Hellmann's Canada and the "Real Food Movement". Hellmann's has chosen the Garden2Table program to help them support healthy eating and teaching children about eating REAL and LOCAL! You can check out their website at http://www.realfoodmovement.ca/latesttalk/get-informed/the-movement/ and "like" them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HellmannsCanada?sk=app_125046137587273
Also, if you would like to get information about  volunteering, or learn more about the Garden2Table program, please join our group on Facebook: Garden2Table Guelph! 

A Creation of Feasts

On Saturday, October 1^st, GCUOF and Garden2Table celebrated the organic garden through a fabulous dinner called ‘Garden to Table’. The guests enjoyed guided tours of the organic garden and a mouth watering cuisine, which featured Executive Chef Shea Robinson from Oliver & Bonacini Restaurant, Executive Chef Matthew Foote from Borealis Grille & Bar, and Executive Chef Simon Day from PJ's Restaurant in the Atrium. Utilizing the organic produce from the garden's seasonal bounty, the chefs created a delicious four course meal. Thanks to the beautiful, crisp fall weather, we were able to showcase the garden in its full glory. Thanks again to all the chefs and volunteers, who without them, we would not have been able to make this a successful event!

Check out the upcoming events on the blog throughout the year!

St. Ignatius` first visit to the Garden!

St. Ignatius of Loyola School in Guelph came for the first time to help get a start on the garden the first week of June.
Thanks to the beautiful weather, we were able to clear out some of the weeds that accumulated over the winter, get bed ready for planting, and even plant some tiny leeks that had started in the greenhouse.

Before the month ends we will be hosting Jean Little School, to hopefully do some more planting and weeding!
It`s so exciting to see the progress of the fruit and vegetables!
More pictures to come soon!

Garden 2 Table Team Chosen for Next Year!!!

Today we wrapped up our interviews and chose our new team of project planners for the next year!!

Everyone who came out had good ideas and we thank everyone for their interest, it truly is great to see how many people care about our cause!! And on a even more positive note, the interviewing process has added to our list of volunteers for coming events!

The candidates we chose had a few common qualities; passion, enthusiasm, and self-motivation. Unfortunately, we cannot post their names yet since they are not even aware that they have made the cut!! When they know, we'll let you know too! 

I know that I can't wait to see what they come up with for next year!

Partnership Practices: Working with Community, Industry and Government Showcase

Garden2Table has been chosen to present a poster at the Partnership Practices: Working with Community, Industry and Government Showcase:

Withers, J., Zimbalatti, L., Douglas, H., Churm S., and B. McAdams (2011). Garden2Table: Closing the gap between producers and consumers in the Guelph Wellington region.

This event supported by the Agri-Food and Rural Link KTT program, funded under the OMAFRA-U of G Partnership. 

Date: March 1^st, 2011
Time:  10:30am-2pm

Location: Old Quebec Street Mall

55 Wyndham Street North

Guelph, ON, N1H 4E7

 

Looking For A New Team

Garden 2 Table will be accepting applications and resumes for new project leaders till Sunday February 13th!! We are looking for 3 students interested in the program and who will be highly committed to the execution of Garden 2 Table. Students will receive a half credit, HTM*4050 Independent Study, in the Winter 2012 Semester. The program starts September 2011 and the students are responsible for organizing 3 events. The project advisor is Professor Bruce Mcadams. Please send your applications and resumes to g2tguelph@gmail.com.

If you have any questions about the positions or in general feel free to email g2tguelph@gmail.com anytime!

Cheers,
G2T Team

we've been Accepted!

Good news! The College Royal Committee has accepted our profit retention form! This means that all proceeds made from our Royal Cafe will go directly to the Garden 2 Table program! Hooray :)

Getting Fired Up for College Royal

Preparations are underway for College Royal! This year the theme is "Take a Walk on the Royal Side" and with that we are incorporating the theme into our "Royal" Cafe! Details are still in the works but we will be running a healthy and delicious (hopefully totally organic) Cafe !

More details to come on the cafe and our education exhibit!
-G2T