By Eleanor Cade Busby
Chef Chris Sprague prepared a feast both for the palate and the eyes for the celebration of the first community open house at the FARMS Community Kitchen Tuesday night. (Eleanor Cade Busby photo) |
Over 60 people attended the first community open house at the new FARMS Community Kitchen and Food Learning Center Tuesday, Sept. 30.
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FARMS Board Member Virginia Hill, her daughter Deborah MacDonald and granddaughter Hadley Angell took in the open house at the new FARMS Community Kitchen and Learning Center. (Eleanor Cade Busby photo) |
Over 60 people attended the first community open house at the new FARMS Community Kitchen and Food Learning Center Tuesday, Sept. 30.
The kitchen is above Rising Tide Community Market at 323 Main St. in Damariscotta. FARMS – Focus on Agriculture in Rural Maine Schools – was co-founded by Karen Kleinkopf in 2004 to facilitate local farm-to-school purchasing and provide education about good nutrition and the role of local farms in healthy and sustainable communities.
Kleinkopf quickly realized that many skills were no longer being taught in schools and began planning a learning center where the whole community could have ready access to programs, classes, and skills once taken for granted.
“Home economics is not part of the school curriculum anymore,” said visitor Paula Macguire, a retired educator. “We learned how to cook from scratch from our mothers and grandmothers. Many younger families never had the examples we had, and now the basics are not taught in school. We need communities like this everywhere to step up and create spaces like this kitchen or we will be a fast food nation completely.”
A two-year-plus planning and fundraising effort, including sales and a Kickstarter campaign, has resulted in a beautiful, modern kitchen with open cooking surfaces that lend themselves to teaching new skills. The cheery rooms are bright and airy and there is room for a planned walk-in freezer and pantry in the future.
Visiting the open house with her granddaughter Hadley Angell, FARMS board member Virginia Hill said the kitchen could play a vital role in the community. “Eating well and taking care of our community really should be a family affair and we are happy that Hadley and her friends will have this wonderful resource,” she said.
For those in attendance, chef Chris Sprague prepared a feast both for the palate and the eyes.
Sprague, who formerly owned the Newcastle Inn, has owned an inn in Vermont with her husband for the last 17 years. They recently bought local property and came “home” for good.
The visual display of her offerings brought oohs and ahhs as visitors came to the open house, followed quickly by sighs of delight at the flavorful concoctions. A salad made of sea vegetables, gluten-free desserts, and a mushroom ragout whipped up on the spot was just a few of the treats for the visitors.
The new FARMS Community Kitchen and Food Learning Center provides a space where people of all ages can gather to share and learn cooking, gardening, and food preservation skills. The space is designed to be a resource for empowering all people in the community in a lifestyle that focuses on local bounty and the importance of whole foods for health.
A range of opportunities will be available, such as conferences, seed-buying fairs, recipe swaps, and special holiday cooking classes. The Community Kitchen and Food Learning Center will be available for rental by other organizations for their workshops, meetings, and classes.
For more information, visit www.mefarms.org or email mefarmsdirector@gmail.com.
