Each year, many schools and youth groups venture out to UC Elkus Ranch for a delicious “Lunch-at-the-Ranch” experience. Kathi Baxter, Environmental Science Educator, developed “Lunch-at-the-Ranch” 6 years ago to accommodate those children who had previously visited the ranch and were interested in returning for a different experience. The educational program is designed for children in second grade and above, primarily because participants need to be able to read recipes and use knives safely.
Children arrive at the ranch at 9:30 ready to fill their bellies. Staff take them to the barns, pens, and coops to visit the animals with the specific goal of identifying the kinds of food the ranch produces (lamb, pork, goat's milk for cheese, eggs, cow's milk). The food hike then forays into the garden for a herb, veggie, fruit, and flower harvest, where the young adventurers learn how to pick the outside leaves of a head of lettuce, find carrots that are ready to be harvested, discover which flowers are edible and which are decorative, note the difference between an herb and a vegetable, and more. Staff help the children make the connection between compost and healthy soil that produces nutrient dense fruit and vegetables.
Their baskets brimming with garden goodies, the kids hike back down to the conference center for a break while the parents wash and prepare all the collected produce. Next up is instruction in MyPlate nutrition education, knife safety and proper hand-washing, and then an “Ingredients Walk” along the tables to learn where all the ingredients they didn't harvest are sourced from (e.g., baking soda, chocolate chips, vanilla). The kids then go off to wash their hands (20 seconds at least please!) and then come back to start cultivating their culinary masterpieces. One adult and five to six kids are grouped at each table to chop, mix, and bake their way through delectable recipes like lemon and mint infused water, veggie pizza, salad with a goat cheese and herb vinaigrette, and a wholegrain fruit based cookie – usually chocolate chip zucchini or pumpkin raisin, depending on the time of year. Together, the mini chefs roll out dough, spread sauce, sprinkle cheese and chop, clip and grate veggies, tasting the raw beets or chard along the way to decide if they are yummy enough to add to their dishes. Sampling produce is highly encouraged!
While their pizzas and cookies bake, the kids clean off and set tables with tablecloths, silverware, cloth napkins and a homemade non-edible flower centerpiece. Each chef takes creative license in topping and decorating their creations; some pizza end up with smiley faces made from carrots or calendula petals. The meal is served in courses: salad, pizza, and for a grand finale, cookies and milk. As the kids finish their meal Elkus staff engage the youngsters in a little evaluation – what did you eat that you haven't tried before, what did you put on your pizza today that you would ask for the next time you have pizza, what didn't you like? Staff often overhear: "the next time I go to Round Table, I am going to ask for zucchini on my pizza!" For many young eaters, it is also often the first time they have consumed salad.
The Ranch hosts 14 to 15 of these programs per year, charging $15/child. For qualifying schools, the Ranch offers partial scholarships to ensure access to the program.
“Lunch-at-the-Ranch” aligns with the mission of the Ranch at large: “We are providing a very strong connection between food and how it has grown, engaging kids in the process of harvesting and preparing healthy choices, and throwing in a fair amount of environmental stewardship as we go. Gotta have land and water to grow this stuff!!” noted Environmental Science Educator Kathi Baxter.
“Lunch-at-the-Ranch” is equal parts science and magic. The staff has all materials prepared, printed, and laminated for the kids and parents, shopping lists and garden checklists are used, and a time line is provided and followed carefully to ensure those cookies are on the table before the bus is ready to leave. “To Go” bags are ready just in case.
But the real magic is in the details…. On one occasion, a student asked what was on the menu and promptly informed Baxter that he only ate pepperoni pizza and would not be eating any salad, ever! He even brought his own lunch.
“We went on our tour and came back to the kitchen and when I passed by his table he pulled me over to show me his pizza. It was piled with shredded carrots, bits of broccoli, spinach and tomatoes. We agreed it was a work of art. When it came out of the oven I checked in with his table and asked him how it tasted. Big smile and a thumbs up (his mouth was full!),” reflected Baxter.
Within a couple hours after the group left, Baxter received an email from the boy's mom, asking for all of the recipes they had made.
“I was concerned that he had eaten something he wasn't supposed to but she wrote back right away that prior to this trip there were only 5 (FIVE) foods he would eat. It was the first time he ate salad, pizza with vegetables, and cookies with fruit. She was going that weekend to get soil and seeds to plant a vegetable garden with him and they made their own version of our pizza and salad that night for dinner. She was thrilled!” exclaimed Baxter.
Many of the visiting students leave this program with an expanded palate of vegetables that they are willing to eat. Much of this success starts with the harvesting process which brings kids in direct contact with their food source.
From seed to plate, “Lunch-at-the-Ranch,” is educational, engaging, and no match for even the pickiest of eaters.
“When the kids get to pull the carrots out of the ground or pick the lettuce leaves themselves and then choose how they will be presented on their pizza or in their salad, they are so much more likely to eat those foods…” reflected Baxter.
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