In 2006 Les Dames d’Escoffier launched “Green Tables” our very own farm-to-fork initiative, to showcase the work of LDEI chapters engaged in linking urban and rural farms and gardens to school, restaurant and kitchen tables.
Les Dames d’Escoffier BC supports two Green Tables initiatives, Growing Chefs! and Project CHEF. These programs teach school children about the importance of fresh, nutritious food with hands on experience that inspires them to make better food choices throughout their lives.
Growing Chefs!
Chefs for Children’s Urban Agriculture gets kids excited about good, healthy food. In their Classroom Gardening and Cooking Program, from March to June, volunteers are paired with elementary school classrooms (grades 1-3 for the primary program, 4-6 for the intermediate) to give students hands-on experience growing and cooking their own food. Growing Chefs! welcome volunteers that are chefs, gardeners, educators, and food activists. They also host 3 fabulous fundraisers each year: Eat.Give.Grow., the Eat Local Challenge, and From Farms to Forks. If you’re interested in volunteering or attending a fundraiser, please visit their website.
Project CHEF
Cook Healthy Edible Food is an experiential, curriculum-based school program aimed at children in kindergarten to grade seven that teaches students about healthy food: where it comes from, what it tastes like, how to prepare it and how to enjoy sharing it around a table. Project CHEF runs from September toJune throughout Vancouver elementary schools. If you are interested in volunteering for a class, a day, or a week, please contact Barb Finley at info@projectchef.ca. If you would like to donate to Project CHEF, donations to support this program can be made to: Vancouver School Board (VSB) for Project CHEF. Tax receipts can be issued by the VSB for donations. All designated funding will be used specifically for the Project CHEF program. Please visit their website for more information.
Chefs in the Classroom.
Chefs in the Classroom – edible education is a program and property of the Okanagan Chefs Association which is a not-for-profit group of chefs, cooks, junior chefs and associates. The program was founded in 2015 and is now in its third season. The program teaches children in our community how to grow, cook and eat local foods.
Chefs in the Classroom – edible education offers a seven lesson plan in eight, Grade 3 classrooms in the Okanagan. It is taught by a team of chefs, cooks, nutritionists, gardeners, farmers, educators and industry associates. Topics include: planting a garden/transplanting/composting, nutrition, local fruits and vegetables, why you should eat local foods, easy recipes, and connections to Aboriginal education. All team and committee members are volunteers.