Rose-Hulman Visits Seven Farms
- by Guest
Prep Cook Arthur Smith, Front-of-House Supervisor Suzi McConkey, Executive Chef Matthew Leeper, and Prep Cooks Cheyenne Downing and Wyatt Sons at The Pickery
Summertime can be a welcome break for Bon Appétit’s higher-education teams, but it’s also prime harvest season for their Farm to Fork vendors — and a great time to organize some field trips for the staff to get to know their local providers better.
Marketing Coordinator Paige Johnson and Line Cook Chase Spier admire the fertile rows
Executive Chef Matthew Leeper and Sous Chef Hannah Bowers at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, IN, recently connected with Laurie Elliott, owner of The Pickery, a certified organic vegetable farm just 5 miles from campus. Laurie invited Matthew, Hannah, and the rest of the team to hand-pick produce for service, which they happily did over the course of three weeks. She also shared proper picking techniques and explained the challenges of maintaining organic certification. The highlight, though, was a tomato tasting. Everyone loved savoring her tomatoes’ nuanced and varied flavor profiles.
In addition, Derrick Cameron, the owner of food hub Local Farm Harvest, organized a guided trip to six other farms — Souder Farms, Spring Valley Farms, Becker Farms, Fields Farm Fresh, Cameron Farms, and RJ Honey — and Dandy Breeze Creamery. The Bon Appétiters had an amazing time getting to know their local vendors and were grateful for the chance to express their profound appreciation for their hard work firsthand.
Submitted by Paige Johnson, Marketing Coordinator