A Kids Kooking Class promises to not only get children and youth in the community into the kitchen, but to get them involved in food from garden to table.
Cowichan Green Community has received a grant from BC Recreation Foundation to offer the weekly classes at their KinFarm Family Drop In Centre.
Participants will help to plan, harvest, prepare, cook, and eat healthy, kid-friendly food.
The classes will be part of the KinPark Kid's Camp this summer.
"I am thrilled to be sending my daughter to camp this year to expand her very picky outlook on food by growing, cultivating and proudly preparing it for sharing," said Heather Kaye, a Cowichan parent whose' daughter will be attending several sessions of the CGC camp this summer. "It's a great hands-on way to expand her horizons, learn, and discover through constructive play. I can't wait to see what she brings home from this."
During the growing season, campers will be hands-on, using as much locally grown produce and native food sources as possible from the Kin-Park Urban Farm.
Campers will plant, tend and harvest their crops, as well as prepare and cook meals, and they'll even get to try their hands at canning and dehydrating what's left over.
All food preparation will take place in the CGC's commercial kitchen. Organizers say that the growing of more local food by participants and their families will be strongly encouraged.
"Increasing awareness about local food will help support the local agriculture sector which had a direct benefit to our region's economy and environment," said Christine Carter of the CGC.
The Cowichan Family Cooking Classes will take a break at the end of June and start again in the fall.
For more information or to register contact Christine at Cowichan Green Community at 250-748-8506 or Christine@cowichangreen community.org