Sauk Valley Community College Expands Agriculture Programming

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Sauk Valley Community College is hosting Whiteside Area Career Center Culinary students for class in its greenhouse to learn how to grow the fresh produce they will transform into culinary dishes through the new Greenhouse to Table program. Chef Joe Hunt brings out one section per day to learn about selecting, growing, maintaining, and harvesting fresh produce in the greenhouse. Participants are spending the school year gaining hands-on experience and learning how locally grown food can inspire dishes. Students are journaling about their experiences and taking data on what they are growing. They have been challenged, through this pilot program, to learn some of the nuances of how growing techniques and chosen plant varieties affect the flavor of the produce.