StFX Human Nutrition Department, Antigonish Farmers Market partner in commercial kitchen 

In what is being called a ‘win-win’ situation, StFX has finalized an agreement with the Antigonish Farmers Market that will allow StFX, through its Department of Human Nutrition, to access the market’s commercial kitchen for teaching and entrepreneurial activities.

Importantly, one of the first activities will see StFX nutrition students both learning and giving back to the community as they serve 50 takeout meals as part of their course to local frontline health care workers and their families. 

On November 1st, the 20 students in the Introduction to Food Service & Quantity Food Production course, taught by Dr. Ruth Harvie, with senior lab instructor Brenda Hanlon, will dish up a homecooked meal consisting of a fresh garden salad, a hearty lasagna (either a vegetarian, gluten-free option or a meat lasagna) and apple crisp for dessert. Many of the ingredients, the department purchased from market vendors, including the ground beef, all the vegetables, the apples, honey, maple syrup, and fresh herbs. 

“We are very excited to be the first HNU class using the commercial kitchen at the Farmers Market; being in the community, preparing a meal for community frontline health care workers and their families consisting of local community products,” says Ms. Hanlon. “This opportunity enhances student experience and facilitates engagement in the local community while meeting quantity foods competencies such as ordering, costing, producing, marketing and serving a large scale menu.” 

The experience, she says, exposes students to much learning, from portion preparation to dietary requirements to becoming aware of local producers, growing seasons and what’s available locally.

It’s not just working with the equipment that is exciting, it’s the extra benefits of learning how to order, produce and market on a large scale, she says. Students learn to menu plan, standardize and adjust menus, order ingredients from market vendors, cost recipes and become familiar with quantity cooking equipment in the commercial kitchen.

Students, too, are excited to be in the community and using products from the community. 

“This is the start of a great partnership with many mutually beneficial learning and research opportunities between the commercial kitchen, local farmers, food producers and StFX human nutrition faculty and students along with the entire StFX community,” Ms. Hanlon says. 



Christine Johnson, Health Equity Lead with Public Health, Nova Scotia Health, says they are very appreciative of the gesture. 

“Staff working in Public Health have been very busy over the last 19 months and we have had to continually adapt along the way through multiple roles, teams and schedules. We are often the ones working behind the scenes and our work can sometimes feel invisible to the wider public. Throughout it all, Public Health staff have persevered, brought their best, and maintained their ongoing dedication to protecting the health of all in our province. It is very special to receive this appreciation and I know my colleagues and their supportive families will enjoy a well deserved treat and enjoy having one less thing to do!” she says. 

IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIP 

Human Nutrition Department chair Dr. Ann Fox says the idea for the partnership with the Antigonish Farmers Market started a few years ago. A number of faculty were involved with the market in various ways from research projects to committee work and were able to become involved in fundraising efforts when they were constructing their new building. 

Plans for the new facility called for a new commercial kitchen, a critical component for market vendors, and exactly what the department needed as current facilities at StFX are outdated and the addition of new facilities would be costly.   

StFX partnered with the market to pay a fee to use the facility, an agreement that financially helps the market and gives the students a real world learning experience, using up-to-date standard industrial equipment in a hands-on learning environment. 

“It connects and grounds the students in the local food movement in a really unique way. It’s such a great opportunity,” Dr. Fox says. 

Several StFX courses will use the commercial kitchen. Along with Introduction to Food Service & Quantity Food Production, these include Community Nutrition; Entrepreneurial Practices for Nutrition Professionals; Food Product Development; and Food Service System Management.

In addition, human nutrition dietetic interns complete community practica at the Antigonish Farmers Market and faculty have ongoing research projects. With current interest in agri-business, the department is has partnered with the Schwartz School of Business to now offer a B.Sc. in Human Nutrition with BBA in Entrepreneurship.

Ms. Hanlon says most commercial kitchens use professional equipment, often made from stainless steel, which can be easily cleaned and sanitized. They often include multiple sinks, floor drains and commercial (walk-in) refrigeration units. The layout is designed to maximize on efficiency according to the flow of work and number of people working in the kitchen. 

Commercial kitchens are also designed for production and food safety and need to meet requirements for cleanliness and safe food handling.

She says students considering an agri-business or current market vendors would use the commercial kitchen space to sell food to the public, because it meets the regulatory requirements for ventilation, sanitation and food safety. 

She says the standardized recipes, cost per serving, procurement lists, food budget and task schedules used for the Nov. 1st meal will be shared with the market.