Southeast Community College’s
Culinary/Hospitality program received a $37,463 grant to incorporate
specialty-crop curriculum and awareness of Nebraska specialty crops. The grant
is through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program project, which is from the
Nebraska Department of Agriculture.
“Our student-run restaurant (Course) and
coffee shop (Course Ground Coffee) also will be able to showcase some of these
crops in the menu items we produce and sell, giving consumers the opportunity
to taste and hopefully increase the use of these food items,” said Rob Epps, director
of the Culinary/Hospitality program.
The
grant also allows for students and faculty to attend local farmers markets and
have a chef provide demonstrations and educational experiences on these specialty
crops to the public. Epps said they hope to start that this summer.
In
addition, they were able to construct a campus garden with raised planter
boxes. This makes it possible for students to grow, maintain, harvest, and
prepare food with the specialty crops. Twelve planter boxes on SCC’s Lincoln
Campus were constructed by SCC maintenance staff and have been filled with a
variety of Nebraska specialty crops.
“Hopefully it will increase awareness and
knowledge to the general student population and campus visitors,” Epps added. “The
hundreds of students and visitors walking by the space daily can see the growth
of these crops and will have the opportunity to learn about them with signs and
educational events built around the garden.”
The
planters are located right outside the Course Restaurant on the east side of the
main campus building. For more information on SCC’s Culinary/Hospitality
program, go to https://www.southeast.edu/culinary/