Tag: Horticulture — Food and Farming

An iconic Durham College (DC) tradition continued on September 19, made possible by our talented and hard-working students, staff and faculty members.

Each year, the Harvest Dinner marks the arrival of fall with a unique dining experience under the stars at our Whitby Campus. It’s the result of countless hours of preparation in the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food’s (Weston Centre) fields, labs and classrooms, and an invaluable opportunity for experiential learning.

Students in DC’s Culinary programs worked tirelessly in the Bistro ’67 kitchen to prepare the delicious food that was served at the event, and those from the Horticulture programs harvested all of the produce that was featured on the menu. Event Planning students helped set up and provided terrific service throughout the evening, while Hospitality volunteers handled bartending and serving duties.

“It was such an incredible example of teamwork,” marveled Lori Saint, Weston Centre General Manager. “It was so rewarding to see it all come together.”

The evening was particularly rewarding for Paige Daniel and Ashley Sedgwick, two Culinary Management students who jumped at the chance to take part in the popular event. Both were given the unique opportunity to introduce different courses of the meal to the eager attendees, describing each menu item in delectable detail.

“Harvest Dinner is so fantastic for bringing together students and faculty”, exclaimed Sedgwick, who helped out in the kitchen. Being part of the Harvest Dinner was an opportunity for the student to further immerse herself in the field-to-fork-to-field philosophy of DC and the Weston Centre, which she enthusiastically supports.

“The focus on sustainability we have here is something that really speaks to me personally,” she said. “Zero waste and sustainability is super cool and I love learning about it.”

For Daniel, who interacted directly with the guests as a server, the highlight was seeing the happiness and satisfaction on their faces.

“The atmosphere was beautiful,” said Daniel. “I was very thankful to be part of an amazing event and see it come to fruition.”

Weston Centre Interim Service Manager Megan Simmons had a unique perspective on the event, having taken part in it during her time as a DC student. The Event Management alumna came full circle by overseeing the front-of-house operations at this year’s dinner, working with current DC students to ensure everything went off without a hitch.

“It’s a good demonstration of how everything works together, and gaining that experience of accomplishing a shared goal is really valuable,” she said. “Coaching the future generation of hospitality and event professionals has been an absolute honour.”

Savour the tastes of the summer season at Durham College (DC)’s Farm Fresh Thursdays featuring produce grown and prepared at the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food (CFF) in Whitby.

On Thursdays, visitors have several options to enjoy fresh-picked seasonal fare from DC’s farm. They can purchase produce at the Produce Pavilion or they can skip the cooking, taking home prepared foods from the Pantry retail store or ordering from a feature menu at the Bistro ’67 patio.

“Launching Farm Fresh Thursdays this year has been a really great opportunity for us to showcase all the delicious products that are coming off of the farm here at the Center for Food,” said Lori Saint, General Manager of Centre for Food located at 1604 Champlain Ave.

Some items available at the Produce Pavilion can’t be found in grocery stores, like a recent feature of tri-coloured peas and serviceberries, a small blueberry-like berry.

“I think the team here loves the idea of challenging themselves to come up with fresh, new ideas to really highlight the produce in a different way and maybe in a way that people wouldn’t expect,” said Saint. “Visitors are going to love the flavour combinations and hopefully they’ll be inspired to use produce in a new, fun way at home.”

For example, the Pantry recently featured a beet galette—a savoury tart—highlighting in-season beets. Students in the Culinary Management, Culinary Skills and Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant Management programs work in CFF’s kitchens helping prepare the items in the Pantry as well as on the Bistro patio, Saint adds.

Urban Farm Field Supervisor Andrew Guay said Horticulture – Food and Farming students gain a wealth of knowledge from working on DC’s innovative farm and growing produce from start to finish.

“Having the farm on campus allows us to engage with the community in thoughtful and impactful ways when addressing issues such as food security, food literacy, and food sustainability,” said Guay. “Not only can we teach community members about the benefits of growing locally and the impact of nutrient-dense produce, but we can also show that proof of concept when we serve those produce items in Bistro ’67.”

On Thursdays until October 10, stop by the Galen. W. Weston Centre for Food at 1604 Champlain Ave. in Whitby and visit:

The Produce Pavilion featuring fresh DC produce from 2 to 6 p.m.
The Pantry with extended hours now open until 6 p.m. and where we will have specialty items featuring produce also available at the Produce Pavilion.
The Bistro ’67 Patio which opens at 5 p.m. on Thursday nights with a fresh menu each week showcasing produce from our fields. Reservations are accepted until 7:30 p.m. and walk-ins are welcome.

Shoppers can take advantage of the Farm Fresh Rewards program this summer. They’ll receive one stamp for every $5 spent at the Produce Pavilion. For every 10 stamps collected, receive a free appetizer on the Bistro ’67 Patio or 25 per cent off purchases at the Pantry. Join our mailing list for weekly updates.

The Produce Pavilion accepts credit and debit only, while the Pantry and Bistro ’67 accept credit, debit and cash.

Students shine at successful Harvest Dinner

Durham College invites the community to experience field-to-fork produce and dining at Farm Fresh Thursdays