This year North Buncombe High School (NBHS) hosted the very first Farm to Table Summer camp for Buncombe County Schools (BCS). Family and Consumers Science teacher Sherry Peek feels that this is the beginning of a new tradition at NBHS.
“We came up with camp as a way to teach kids about where food comes from, along with ways to preserve it for later use,” said Ms. Peek. “The North Carolina Extension and WNC Farmers Market both provided enriching experiences for campers. We’ve had a packed week of tomato canning, cheese making, touring the Agricultural Center at NBHS, and shopping at the WNC Farmers Market. With the skill set learned, the final challenge students had was to make homemade pizza using the ingredients we had on hand.”
The sixth through eighth graders also learned about the different career paths available to them in Agriculture as well as Family and Consumer Sciences. Ms. Peek says all of these aspects are intertwined in the Farm to Table lifestyle.
“By being here at the high school, campers have been able to see a piece of the CTE classes offered through BCS,” she said. “We’ve really immersed ourselves in the idea of organic foods and how to create delicious meals from the resources available.”
