We had a very exciting week welcoming students to campus; harvesting and feasting in celebration of the coming year! On Tuesday after Convocation, students, faculty, and staff were welcomed to the Community Dinner out on the library lawn. Hampshire’s dining service provider Bon Appetit prepared an incredible local feast that featured pork and fresh vegetables grown on the Hampshire College Farm. Here is the list of produce Hampshire farmers Nancy and Jason dropped off at the dining hall on Tuesday morning:
20 pounds of kale
10 pounds of collards
10 pounds of chard
30 pounds of lettuce
20 pounds of arugula
50 pounds of carrots
60 pounds of beets
5 pounds of radishes
15 pounds of edamame
10 pounds of beans
10 pounds of cherry tomatoes
150 pounds of slicing tomatoes
300 pounds of plum tomatoes
80 heads of broccoli
25 heads of fennel
25 heads of garlic
12 bunches each of dill, parsley and cilantro
6 bunches of rosemary
And here is the incredible menu created by Bon Appetit Executive Chef Lydia Kumpa and General Manager Jim Lachance:
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- Jim is pictured with a Hampshire College hog that he butchered himself and prepared with an espresso barbeque rub.
ENTRÉE STATIONS
Herb Roasted Beef from Austin Farm, Belchertown
Smoky BBQ Pork from Hampshire College Farm
Lukasik Farms Turkey Brined in Local Sodas
Vegan Braised Hampshire College Greens with White Beans
SIDE DISHES (all vegan or vegetarian)
Sweet and Sour Cabbage
Char- Grilled Vegetables (all fresh harvested from Hampshire College Farm)
Herb Roasted Potatoes
Cheesy Potato Gratin
SALADS
Freshly Harvested Salad Bar- all from Hampshire College Farm
Local Tomato Vinaigrette and Hampshire College Farm Garlic Scape Pesto Dressing
Composed Salads and Hampshire College Farm Pickled Vegetable array (beets etc.)
BREADS
House baked Breads with house made local blueberry preserve and local apple butter
Local Cheese Fondue (with raw farm-fresh vegetables)
DESSERTS
Benson Farm Blueberry Crumble sweetened with Hampshire College Farm Maple SyrupMaple Baked Apples sweetened with Hampshire College Farm Maple Syrup
Cook’s Farm Vanilla Ice Cream
BEVERAGES
Pierce Brothers Coffee
Carlson Orchard Apple Cider
With Bon Appetit as our partner, the Community Dinner set the tone for the semester as we engage new and returning students with Hampshire’s Healthy Food Transition and work together on our 100% Local Food Challenge. In the spirit of this effort, Bon Appetit Senior Fellow Nicole Tocco and Hampshire’s Food, Farm, and Sustainability Program Coordinator Jess Wissemann hosted a Food Forum on Thursday night to cultivate discussions around food, farming, and sustainability. Some of the topics discussed included: What constitutes “local food”?; What is the difference between Organic and Conventionally grown food?; What do various certifications (Certified Humane, Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, etc.) really mean?; How is Bon Appetit helping to improve farmworkers rights?; How much progress has Hampshire Made toward 100% Local?
Many of the students who attended the Food Forum chose to wake up bright and early the next morning to investigate their food queries closer to the source at the Hampshire College Farm. Despite being the first week of classes, droves of students have emerged from the edge of our fields to work and volunteer on the farm. Since so many students are interested in the farm this year, our Assistant Vegetable Grower Jason Dragon will be hosting volunteer work hours on Wednesdays from noon to 3pm starting on September 17th. Working with Jason is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and learn more about farming! Here is a preview of the fun to be had working in the field….maybe we’ll see you there! Email farm@hampshire.edu with questions!
Students getting to know each other on the farm with the Universal Handshake!
Students winrowing pumpkins to cure in the fields.
Our pumpkins ripened early! Students plucked them from the vine so they can start to cure.
Food brings us together!
