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Plumbing
Problems?
Plumbing
Problems?
We are here
to fi x them!
We are here
to fi x them!
If you haven't heard of the
Carver Food
Enterprise Center in Culpeper County,
it's probably because it's so new. This
nonprofit, a project of the George
Washington Carver Agriculture Research
Center, opened last September in the
former George Washington Carver High
School. The 6,200-square-foot commercial
kitchen (the first of three planned phases)
serves as a food business incubator and
classroom for growers, food business
owners, entrepreneurs, and other
organizations. In addition,
people can rent the kitchen
to help them start or grow
their food business.
Virginia Cooperative senior
extension agent Lenah
Nguyen explains the kitchen
can be rented out to
entrepreneurs to gain
experience in a commercial
kitchen prior to opening a
food business. However, it's also used for
job training programs and food rescue
work--the latter of which the kitchen
received questions about almost as soon
as its doors opened.
Last October and November, the
organization held events called Feeding
500, which served several purposes--it
decreased both food insecurity and food
waste, provided individuals with food
service job training skills, and allowed all
volunteers to participate in an activity that
directly impacted their neighbors
experiencing food insecurity. The November
event included the expertise and guidance
of several individuals, including Warrenton
Farmers Market manager Natalie Ortiz,
chef David Curlis, Lenah, and Carver
Center program director Gretchen Ledmore.
Lenah explains that while food pantries
love receiving generous produce and
meat donations, their clients aren't likely
to consume certain crops, such as winter
squashes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, and
venison, without additional processing.
So thanks to a donation of 200 pounds
of sweet potatoes donated by the Fauquier
Education Farm, a host of volunteers
worked together at the November Feeding
500 to create a roasted sweet potato and
red pepper soup, with the intent of making
at least 500 servings of soup for local
food banks.
The sweet potatoes were quite large and
therefore more challenging for food bank
clients to use for personal meals, so making
them into soup prevented them from ending
up in the landfill. The end result was 700
8 oz. servings, which were delivered to
Fauquier FISH, the Culpeper Food Closet,
and Encompass Community Supports.
A third Feeding 500 event was held on
March 20. Twenty volunteers gathered for
three-and-a-half hours to create 439 8 oz.
containers of dips. Thanks to Northern
Virginia Food Rescue's donation of 30
giant cans (each is over 6 pounds!) of
black beans, garbanzo beans, artichoke
hearts, and roasted red bell peppers, the
group made roasted red bell pepper
hummus, spinach-artichoke dip, and black
bean dip--all healthy and delicious snacks!
For half the session, 10 individuals prepared
the dips with guest chef David, who created
the three dip recipes, and Gretchen, while
the other 10 people participated in a food
safety educational program led by Lenah
and her extension office colleague, Clare
Lillard. Then the groups switched, allowing
everyone to earn a ServSafe Food Handler
certificate--a basic training element for
those who want to work in the food service
industry--as well as the chance to prepare
the dips, which will go to Culpeper Food
Closet, Rappahannock Food Pantry, and
Empowering Culpeper.
The event was a resounding success. "As
founder of Abode of Liberation, I had the
privilege of attending the third Feeding
500 event alongside three of our
intellectually disabled adult residents,"
says Jenelle Embrey. "It was an enriching
experience where we not only learned
valuable information but also had a fantastic
time. Lenah's exceptional guidance and
patience made the class particularly
enjoyable for us. We look forward to
participating again in the future!"
To learn more about the Carver Food
Enterprise Center, including future events,
visit
gwcfec.org.
Carver Food Enterprise Center:
Job Training and Food Preparation
Through Feeding 500
~ Nancy Griffin-Bonnaire