BY MIKE ABELL – THE CAMPUS LEDGER
09/02/2014
The annual Harvest Dinner on Friday, Aug. 22 featured the best of both worlds this year. Attendees of the event enjoyed a three course meal that was prepared by students from the Hospitality Culinary Academy with the help of a couple of local chefs inside the Capitol Federal Conference Center.
Students and faculty from the Sustainable Agriculture program harvested the crops, however Kristy Howell, sustainability education and engagement coordinator, said that there are multiple areas where students can get involved, but it is not just students who got to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
“Students are welcome to attend the event obviously,” said Howell, “but it is typically its students who benefit from the event and donors that attend.”
The Harvest Dinner is usually attended by community members, donors, and anyone who has a part in making the Harvest Dinner possible. The amount of guests can range anywhere from 100 to 130.
Howell, who is recently new to the college, was assisted with the planning of the event by her predecessor, Kim Criner. It is tradition for the sustainability education and engagement coordinator to be the primary planner for the Harvest Dinner.
“This has always been central to the education and engagement person’s position,” said Howell. “This is something Kim [Criner] did for years while she was here and it fits really well with the overall aim with the position.”
Criner planned the Harvest Dinner since it’s inception and she said it has been growing in terms of attendance and quality. She also said that the Harvest Dinner has created a strong partnership between the two programs.
“The dinner has really evolved with the farm over the years,” said Criner. “Honestly we wouldn’t have been able to have an event like this if it weren’t for everyone involved.”
Kriner said that while she worked at the college she noticed an increase with the amount of attendees from one year to another, which may be in part to the Harvest Dinner’s reputation of having excellent food. This year local chefs Aaron Prater, Alex Pope and Lindsay Laricks utilized their talents along with produce, grown at the college.
The chemical-free produce was grown on the campus farm, approximately 2.5 acres and located on the northwestern part of the campus. The farm is maintained by students and faculty from the Sustainable Agriculture program.
Stu Shafer, professor and chair of sustainable agriculture, said that he enjoys helping out each year not only because of the attendees, but also the students.
“The thing that I enjoy the most is having our students be able to share with our donors and supporters the rich experiences they’re getting from our program.”
To finish off the evening, attendees were presented with a free performance by Kelly Hunt at Nerman Museum of Contemporary art afterwards.
For more info on the concert, visit thecampusledger.com
Contact Mike Abell, editor-in-chief, mabell@jccc.edu