Take aways from discussions with kids in local food chains (quick notes)
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Schools and teachers we talked to:
Northwest FFA program
Dennis Finley Bakery Pastry RG Drage Career Tech Center, http://www.drage.stark.k12.oh.us/
Lorraine Landscaping FFA
Our Preceptions
Most of the teachers and students (with a couple of exceptions) do not
see themselves as part of a local food system (or even understand that
they are part of a bigger system/opportunity). There was one
integrator who would like to see us present at an upcoming meeting where he will try to convince schools to integrate food science/ag programs.
Perceptions of Local Food Systems, (our perceived) Worldview of Students
A good portion are interested in starting their own businesses, related to local food production (when prompted or asked if they are interested in this)
Need to expand kids concept of what is possible for them, and need basic understanding of the system they are part of.
Culinary students were not very exposed to information technology (they did not know about http://www.epicurious.com/ for example ).
Most students do not have a lot of exposure to available resources and activities related to local foods.
Existing Barriers
There is a lack of good transportation, that is a barrier to students participation as part time workers or apprentices with local foods businesses. Some students cannot afford driver's license.
There is a seasonality in some aspects of local food systems, and students (or any participant) would need to know how to adapt and chnage throughout the year (maybe food production in one season, landscape design, research, or knowledge work in others, etc) Students will need a multi-disciplinary approach
Technology Access and Literacy
Kids are highly underserved by technology, limited by available technology.
When students are positioned in terms of beliefs in their capacities, they are able express their ability to lead.
If technology were available for them to do more in depth work with plant, food and other science they would use it.
There is a difference between attitudes about what is possible for future career paths, in students from different economic and social backgrounds
There is a stigma about commercial social networks like facebook and myspace among some students (and they did not really know about twitter)
Students are using text messaging prolifically and proficiently
Meeting discussion
Help to provide a sense of self, and what is possible.
Video conferencing between students to share projects ideas etc between students
A student-driven network, where students decide what happens, projects that are worked on, have access to resources and collectively decide what to do with them, have an expectation of giving back to community. There is a willingness to be connecte.
Schools need appropriate field trips to expose students to Local Food Systems, and what is possible.
Our network should provide linkages to unique experiences and possibilities
We are exploring now part-time jobs as an angle to engage kids and get them to learn about possibilities in LFS.
There is also an opportunity for someone who wants to take on starting up businesses with students aged 16+
We make tools that are built and driven by the direction of kids
Connecting social networks (LFS to Kids' networks)
Pennsylvania needs
Pennsylvania does not have any existing networking tools. We can make a section of LFS with different look and feel.
Building data bridges to facebook, ning, (google groups?) we will build bridges to the proliferation of different sites and groups. We may create ways creating recommendation engine that connect any type of site and recommend.
Labor day weekend event for Pennsylvania.
They have a meat producers co-op, vegatable co-op, and other small groups that will get together before labor day.
Comments
JVS students could use
JVS students could use http://blender.org for landscape design.
http://blender-archi.tuxfamily.org/Greenhouse is an example of plant modeling,
http://blender-archi.tuxfamily.org/Features_requested_for_Architecture
technology support
My experience with culinary programs in vocational schools would lead me to believe that the resources available to have the technology(computors, new equipment, non-typical equipment) available doesn't exist.
While the quality and impact of the instructor is crucial to passing on the available resources out there like epicurious.com. The food network has helped.
Basic technique is the most important tool the budding culinarians need at this point in their career. Learning all the advanced techniques means nothing without a solid foundation in culinary principles.
Mark your experience makes
Mark your experience makes sense. Our observance that students are underserved by technology was not primarily focused on the culinary students, but moreso for the ag and horticulture students.
Some of the culinary students expressed great interest in learning more about the entreprenuerial aspects of culinary work. The instructors actually said that the only thing stopping them from getting into more advanced topics with their students were:
Still, I can see your point, that basic technique will always be central to the profession, and with limited budgets and time, that is where the focus is understandably currently at.
One thing I am trying to help folks realize is that there are low cost solutions available now, for needs such as reaserch, collaborative and inquiry based learning, and for creating knowledge bases that students can pass down over time as seniors move on and junior and freshman students enter classes.