Trips Expose Riverwood Students To Food Sourcing, Sustainability

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — Chef Elissa Oliver, chair of the Riverwood International Charter School Culinary Arts Department, had two unique opportunities to expose her students to various aspects of the subject they are studying. The students took two trips during the first semester of the 2017-18 school year to broaden their horizons on cooking methods and food sourcing.

The first trip was to Inland Seafood, the largest distributors of seafood in the southeast and an Atlanta institution for more than 35 years. The students learned not only about seafood cooking methods, but also about sustainability and seafood production. Once back at Riverwood, the students cooked fresh lobster and several varieties of fish.

The second outing was the annual visit to the Whole Kids Foundation Educational Farm in Roswell. The farm's mission is to provide experiential learning about food in an outdoor learning environment. The farm and its programs support the local community, including schools and neighborhood residents.

Culinary students learned about Farm to Table living, healthy eating, food sourcing and, of course, sustainability. They also enjoyed harvesting, washing, and eating mixed greens and carrots straight from the field — and were delighted to taste the flavors of just-picked vegetables. In the experimental kitchen, the aspiring chefs created a meal from the day’s bounty.

Photo 1: Students washing the fresh vegetables that were harvested: Elijah Kirby, Majida Rahaman and Maria Coles

Photo 2: Chef Oliver and her students with a fresh lobster from Inland Seafood.

Photo 3: Elijah Kirby harvest turnips at Whole Kids Farm

Photo 4: Student Chrystal Wallace preparing food for the meal created at Whole Kids Educational Farm.

Photo 5: Chef Elissa Oliver and her students prepare fish from Inland Seafood.

Photo credits: Riverwood International Charter School