Pacific Northwest Teams Head to Farm School
- by Guest
Members of the Bon Appétit teams at Nordstrom (Seattle), Reed College (Portland, OR), and St. Martin’s University (Lacey, WA), recently went back to school — on a farm!
Nordstrom Operations Manager Dorian Gossom harvests peas
They spent five educational days at Quillisascut Farmstead Cheese & School of the Domestic Arts for an on-site training through an immersive program called Farm Culinary 101.
Located in the tiny Washington town of Rice, the school is run by owners Rick and Lora Lea Misterly. Rick and Lora Lea provided instruction on mindful water usage in the kitchen, composting best practices, and even goat butchering. The importance of nose-to-tail preparation took on deep significance when the team watched the butchering process start to finish, then reflected on the experience together.
They also visited neighboring farms, harvested dinner ingredients straight from the earth, and enjoyed cooking and eating the freshest possible foods. The training underscored with great clarity why supporting local farms is so crucial to maintaining a sustainable food system.
Submitted by Dorian Gossom, Operations Manager