Today’s young people are our future food leaders. And, in this issue, since fall is back-to-school time, we are focusing on local youths’ involvement in the food community, from cooking and growing food to making healthy eating choices.
Currently, Reno-Tahoe restaurant owners and managers are desperately seeking staff members for jobs in their kitchens as well as other hospitality positions. That’s one reason why culinary education in all grade levels is important, but particularly for high schoolers as they make college education and work decisions.
We are fortunate to have award-winning culinary education programs here, with passionate teachers behind them. Local instructors are readying students for the job market and teaching them important skills: to prepare and cook nutritious and tasty dishes for themselves and their families.
Edible gardens in schools also are important in informing students where their food comes from and how to tend burgeoning produce. They may share their skills with their families, possibly leading to them growing their own food at home. While many obstacles stand in the way of founding and maintaining school gardens, we do have successful local programs. We tell you all about them in this issue. May they inspire other schools to launch their own.
How are our college students being fed? Pretty well, when it comes to the University of Nevada, Reno. Nevada Dining offers healthy, fresh, nutritious, and sustainable choices throughout campus. We’ll introduce you to four dynamic female dining workers who head up the program.
Next, we would like you to meet Cheryl and Kenny Wright, owners of Kool Kids Ranch in Spanish Springs. They teach nearly a dozen school-aged children how to work a small livestock production ranch. Youths learn about agriculture and where food comes from by collecting chicken eggs, setting up goats for milking, and feeding cows, among other lessons.
Also in these pages, we share a Chinese dessert that brings families together for the Mid-Autumn Festival, a little-known fruit being harvested from local trees this time of year, the history of the Minden Flour Milling Co., a pumpkin patch guide, and a story about a local expert pumpkin carver. And we highlight many other wonderful local businesses and programs for you to support.
Happy reading!
About the Cover
Kyle Moyer, a student in the culinary program at the Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology high school in Reno, prepares bananas foster. Photo by Donna Victor
