Welcome!

OK, here we go! You've landed on a blog maintained by members of the Localvore Club at Russell I. Doig Middle School in Trumansburg, New York. We are students and staff, united by our love of food, cooking, and community. This project grew out of teacher Melissa Bryant's unit on Michael Pollin's The Omnivore's Dilemma--a challenging read for middle schoolers, who told Mrs. Bryant that they would buy into the book's ideas more if they could cook. "Great idea!" said Mrs. Bryant, "Let's cook, then!"

Mrs. Bryant met with Trisha Armstrong, a teacher at another school who has run a cooking program for a long time. Mrs. Armstrong gave her lots of ideas, and Mrs. Bryant approached our principal, Mr. Josh Hunkele, who said, "Yes! Absolutely!" They decided to have students offer up a homemade lunch to staff every Thursday at a cost of $6. Making these lunches won't just involve cooking--students will be researching recipes and ingredients in order to be able to write up information about the nutrition profile of the menu. They will take turns writing blog posts, and will use math and science as they cook. They'll learn about managing their time, advertising their services, and keeping their customers happy.

Over the summer, some pretty magical things happened. Mrs. Bryant visited a retired Trumansburg teacher, who knew some folks running a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Those folks said that Mrs. Bryant could have any and all vegetables left at the end of the weekly CSA pickup. Another retired teacher offered up an old refrigerator, which is now Mrs. Bryant's cheese cave. Other teachers and community members offered up their time, expertise, community connections, and support. Everyone Mrs. Bryant has talked to has been unfailingly enthusiastic.

Since the CSA donations started before the school year, Mrs. Bryant and her friends started freezing produce and cooking ahead. During the first week of school, she introduced the idea to her students and they immediately got busy. They made, printed, and distributed the week's menu--minestrone soup with local kale and homemade mozzarella cheese, homemade bread and butter, and a "mystery vegetable" cupcake with chocolate goat cheese icing. Students got their first cooking lesson as they made the butter and goat cheese. They are ready to go for next week!