Contact: Robbie Ward
Photo by: Megan Bean
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Fewer family farms and busier families throughout the United States have produced hordes of children who think milk comes from the grocery store, cayenne pepper from the spice rack and chickens from a fast-food drive-in window.
With responsibility for producing food falling into more concentrated corporate groups and fewer parents taking time to break-in their kitchens to their children, younger generations could think meals become synonymous with fast food or take-out.
That's why Sylvia Byrd of Mississippi State has her work cut out for her.
An associate professor in the university's department of food science, nutrition and health promotion, she coordinated the first "Fun with Food Camp" earlier this summer. The program was designed to empower third-sixth-grade students with kitchen knowledge by teaching them how food goes from the farm to the table, and to pass on practical skills associated with food preparation.
Byrd, who grew up on a family farm, said she has worried for some time about the distance people today find themselves from the food they eat.
"We just go to the grocery store and think it magically appears," Byrd said during a field trip with 40 students in the camp to the Mayhew Tomato Farm near Starkville. "If children are involved in food preparation, they have a better idea of how it works."
From family-run farms to MSU's own dairy, Byrd took her young campers to food sources--literally. The young students saw long rows of peppers, cantaloupes and tomatoes at the local farm, and some 150 Jersey and Holstein cows at the off-campus dairy.
"Coming out here goes a long way in showing students where their food comes from," Byrd said, watching students put juicy pieces of fresh watermelon in their mouths.
A few fruits and vegetables away, near the okra, eggplant and cabbage, 9-year-old Emily Beth Ivy of Ackerman hadn't decided the fate of the long cayenne pepper in her hand.
"I might give it to my grandpa because he likes peppers," said Ivy, whose favorite vegetable is corn on the cob.
While Byrd and her staff took students on field trips during the weeklong camp, she didn't leave learning outdoors. She coordinated something most students never do--preparing their own lunch each day. From vegetable pizza, soups, pasta, and more, students chopped, measured, baked, and everything else associated with healthy food that's good enough for their taste buds.
Even 10-year-old Megan Moorhead of Starkville, the self-proclaimed pickiest eater of the group, found a few things worthy of her selective taste. She didn't think twice about pasta she prepared.
"It was good," she said, smiling and sitting at a table with about 10 other students.
While the camp allowed students to learn more about food, it also enhanced their interest in the culinary arts. Nine-year-old Ryan Mikel may be small in size but not in ambition and ideas.
He and a buddy plan to open a restaurant inside his tree house in his backyard. The menu will include traditional American foods like hotdogs and burgers, along with his special treats. Like other campers, they took home composition books filled with unique recipes, food safety tips and other nutrition notes.
Taking a break from preparing garlic bread one day before lunch, Mikel, wearing a chef's hat, described a dessert he calls a "Chocolate Ginny" that he made from Hostess cupcakes, chocolate syrup, Hershey's Kisses, ice cream, and cherries.
"I made it for my dad on Father's Day," proclaimed the rising fourth-grader also from Starkville.
While Byrd encouraged students to use creativity while preparing food, they also learned kitchen fundamentals that stretch far beyond the sink and oven. They were introduced to organizational skills by reading and following recipes and gathering equipment needed, such as mixers and cutting boards. They also learned patience while preparing food, realizing quality often takes more than two minutes in a microwave.
Additionally, the campers had to use mathematical and critical-thinking skills when reading food labels and comparing food prices. Later, they made homemade granola and priced the snacks at a local grocery store, showing the value of preparing food themselves.
While Byrd spoke to a class visitor one day, several students were slicing pepperoni and vegetable pizzas.
"You can go to a classroom and hear all about fractions," she observed, nodding in the direction of her class. "But cutting watermelons and pizzas into fourths and eighths makes it real."
Fun with Food also taught them how to differentiate among foods--what she terms "go," "slow" and "whoa." Using the kid-friendly terms, Byrd explained the value of limiting amounts of sweets and sugary foods while munching on plenty of fruits and veggies.
Whether preparing spaghetti squash, vegetable soup filled with fresh onions and carrots or pizza from scratch, the summer campers were made aware that preparing tasty, healthy food doesn't take forever or require a professional chef. They now have the basic skills and experiences to feed themselves--and have a good time in the process.
While Byrd realizes she can't teach every American child about the farm-to-food process, she is doing her part to share the knowledge with one batch of students at a time each summer.
"Just look at how much they enjoy this," she said, walking with her group through rows of fresh cantaloupes.
For more information about plans for the 2008 Fun with Food Camp, contact Byrd at 662-325-0919 or shb5@msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.