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A partnership involving CPS Cafe, Central Rivers Farmshed and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will give students a broader food-management experience while meeting a community need and reducing food waste.

 

Farmshed’s new community kitchen at the former Sorenson’s greenhouse on Briggs Court will be a site for community members to learn how to preserve locally grown food. Fresh fruits and vegetables unsold at farmers markets will be purchased and processed, and then they will be available at local food pantries or for sale.

 

This partnership will provide UW-Stevens Point students hands-on experience in local food processing and distribution, said Annie Wetter, Health Promotion-Human Development Department chairwoman. “They will see how organizations can partner to synergize resources. They’ll see how a need in the community can be addressed creatively through collaboration and market economics.”

 

Students pursuing degrees in sustainable food systems, family and consumer sciences, health promotion/wellness, dietetics and related programs will expand their knowledge and experience in food service management, said Kim Beckham, CPS Cafe manager, who leads a practicum in that topic.

 

A production model concept will be added to the training, where students will create and follow food safety plans, develop recipes, work with small scale producers, and create workloads and processes for volunteer management.

 

Beckham is excited to offer students another kitchen experience. They’ll learn more about precisely forecasting quantity needed, costing out food, ordering quantities of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and preparing and selling food in season. They will also serve the community.

 

Students will develop broader skills in sustainable food systems, community nutrition and preservation. About 40 UW-Stevens Point students will be involved the first year, beginning in spring 2015. “They’re going to be really well-rounded. It will make them more employable,” Beckham said.

 

The CPS Cafe, which offers locally sourced entrees weekdays in the College of Professional Studies, gives students hands-on experience in food preparation and preservation. Students and employees make all items, including ketchup, pickles and jam.

 

Many UW-Stevens Point students have served Farmshed over the years, said Layne Cozzolino, Farmshed executive director. CPS Cafe faculty and students are involved with establishing the community kitchen because they bring professional food service management skills and experience. This helps manage the high production volume according to state sanitation standards and ensures fiscal viability of the project.

 

The community food preservation partnership, known as Value Added, engages many individuals and groups, Cozzolino said.

 

At least 15 community members will be taught different techniques for preserving fresh fruits and vegetables to make them last longer, Cozzolino wrote in a grant application. “This education and skill set will allow area families to feed themselves year-round while providing for those in need at pantries and supporting the operation of the community kitchen.”

 

These community members would become part of a Farmshed kitchen collective, receiving a number of preserved items in exchange for providing a designated number of volunteer hours. It is similar to Farmshed’s Growing Collective, in which members grow vegetable starts for their gardens, school and giving gardens and Farmshed.

 

“People are inspired by working together, by learning new skills,” Cozzolino said.

 

Another goal is to reduce food waste, estimated to be 40 percent of all food produced in the United States.

 

When the farmers market closes on Saturdays, many vendors have produce remaining. The Value Added group will buy an estimated 249 pounds of unsold fruits and vegetables and preserve it weekly. They will also preserve excess quantities of fresh vegetables donated to food pantries, returning it in a shelf-stable form. This addresses a common barrier to purchasing fresh produce: It spoils before some people can use it.

 

An average of $290 will be spent weekly on produce from 20 to 30 small-scale farmers and market gardeners.

Preserving food when quantities are abundant and at peak freshness reduces waste and increases nutritional value. About 20 families would receive food through pantries, giving them greater access to an array of local fruit and vegetable products.

 

Consuming locally produced food helps communities be economically resilient, Wetter said.

 

“Demand by consumers for local food is growing,” she said. “With increasing demand comes an increased need to create systems and structures to support local food production and distribution, which means jobs in local food systems management are growing.”