Mid-State, Food + Farm Exploration Center announce partnership

By Patrick Lynn

Mid-State Technical College has announced a new partnership with the Food + Farm Exploration Center in Plover.

The partnership will offer unique culinary and enrichment classes, new internships, and externships for students and community outreach opportunities, according to Mid-State.

The partnership is kicking off with a series of 18 culinary continuing education courses hosted in the Food + Farm Exploration Center’s Kitchen Lab.

The first class is Sweet Corn and Corn Chowder on Wednesday, Oct. 25, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. It will feature three different corn recipes: creamy brown corn chowder, authentic Mexican style corn and creamed corn.

“We are excited to introduce Food + Farm Exploration Center as a new site where community members can experience enrichment courses,” said Dr. Bobbi Damrow, Mid-State vice president of workforce development and community relations. “Their new, state-of-the-art culinary lab exemplifies a learning environment to strive for, and we are proud to extend our culinary continuing education offerings close to home for residents on the eastern side of our district.”

Mid-State’s partnership with Food + Farm Exploration Center supports the College’s mission to transform lives through Mid-State-delivered education and enrichment activities. The primary focus of the partnership is on agricultural products, services and local career pathways.

“The mission of the Food + Farm Exploration Center is all about educating our community about their food and where it comes from,” said Andy Reitz, executive director of Food + Farm Exploration Center. “Partnering with the Mid-State Technical College Culinary Arts program provides a great opportunity to bring that education to life. We are looking forward to the partnership, and to sampling some of the creations.”

Food + Farm Exploration Center’s mission is to educate current and future generations about agricultural innovation and sustainability. It is a destination for education, unforgettable family experiences, lots of fun and great wholesome food.

Visitors can combine agricultural science with culinary arts in the Kitchen Lab, explore the Ag Lab Maker Space through hands-on activities using high-tech tools to problem-solve, meet the machines that feed the nation in the Farm Tech Shed and witness agriculture in action right where it happens—in the field.

Upcoming Food + Farm Exploration Center classes in the current continuing education catalog can be found at mstc.edu/continuing-education.