Students cook up a night out at Farm to Fork
Comet Cafe students tend to salads as teacher Dene Lundberg keeps the kitchen running smoothly. Press photos by Kate Hayden
Junior Christopher Goulbourne and instructor Dene Lundberg plate meals to be delivered to the Farm to Fork diners.
Agriculture teacher Jim Lundberg checks in on the kitchen's needs as the agriculture students greet diners arriving at the Gil & Donna White FFA Youth Enrichment Center.
Senior Kaitlyn Vsetecka attends to appetizers before they are taken out to Friday's diners at the Gil & Donna White FFA Youth Enrichment Center.
Charles City residents browse through agriculture students' displays before being seated at the Farm to Fork dinner.
A student serves Charles City Board of Education member Joshua Mack at Friday's dinner.
By Kate Hayden, khayden@charlescitypress.com
As community members trickled in to the Gil & Donna White FFA Youth Enrichment Center, high school students kicked in to high energy serving their customers.
Students served 107 diners during Friday night’s Farm to Fork event, months in the making after Jim Lundberg’s agriculture class planted the first garden seeds.
“It’s a very satisfying feeling. It’s been a long road to get here but it’s definitely very, very satisfying seeing everything come together,” student Dominque Bill said.
Bill and his classmates raised the chicken, pork, honey and vegetables themselves as part of Lundberg’s agriculture and horticulture classes. During Friday’s dinner, the students were present to share the story of raising the ingredients throughout the quarter.
“There were some roadblocks, but it definitely pulled together very well,” Bill said. “The status quo in schools is always to sit at the desk and read chapter four … This year, I figured we’d walk into horticulture class and grow some poinsettias for Christmas.”
“It was definitely way bigger than anything we’ve done at school.”
As part of Comet Cafe, junior Jodie Sindlinger stayed busy waitressing as diners filled up the Youth Enrichment Center. Sindlinger is a returning Comet Cafe student who also waitressed as a summer job.
“It’s how I’ve pictured it,” Sindlinger said about the event. “You can see it go from farm to fork. You see it being put in the ground, taken out and put on [diner’s] plates, and I think that’s pretty cool. It’s all local.”
Comet Cafe instructor Dene Lundberg kept the center’s kitchen running on Friday.
“It’s exciting because it’s a combination of the classes and what they’ve started this year, and because we’re out here at the new building. That’s wonderful, that makes me excited. I can’t wait to get all the new equipment in here,” Lundberg said. “We’re thankful to everybody in the community that contributed to make this place happen.”
“I’m excited to all sit down afterwards and have dinner, and talk about class and how the night went,” she added.
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