On Wednesday, April 19, more than 50 members of the community participated in a Farm to Table dinner at Harvestville Farms, with Central Lee students acting as head chefs for the evening.
The family farm is well known throughout the state for its elegant Farm to Table dinners. This past year, Harvestville Farms was awarded an Iowa Tourism award for Outstanding Dining Business. The farm has attracted award-winning chefs from throughout the midwest to bring fine dining to southeast Iowa.
It is a high honor for students to serve as guest chefs. The students are in Melanie Scheetz’s class at Central Lee High School.
“I was able to attend this event with my wife and friends. It was such a rewarding experience to see our students showcase their culinary skills in front of a large audience,” said Dr. Andy Crozier, Superintendent. “I am so proud of Mrs. Scheetz and her students. They have created a program where all students want to be associated with and they are learning vital life skills.”
The collaboration between Harvestville Farms and Mrs. Scheetz’s classroom has been a discussion item for the past few years. This year, both partners were able to find a common date to put the idea into action. Students served an appetizer, salad, main course, and dessert for the evening.
“I am so proud of our students, who have helped at one point or another,” said Scheetz. “The cooking skills, communication skills, cooperation, teamwork, and support they all showed to one another during this process was remarkable. It was a long, busy day, but I truly believe they would all tell you they had a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
“Not only was this night one to remember, but it was also a great learning experience,” said Senior Emily Barnhardt. “Lots of teamwork and communication was used, which was essential for ensuring all the 55 guests had their plate at relatively the same time. Mrs. Scheetz is an amazing instructor who brought current and past food members to help in the kitchen and in the beautiful dining location.”
“Our foods classes have tremendous teamwork,” Junior Sidney Gruntmeir. “We worked through all our struggles and overcame every obstacle in the kitchen together as a team. Mrs. Scheetz’s foods classes develop so many important skills that we will use forever.”
The Central Lee Foods Department aims to partner with Harvestville Farms again in the future to provide another fantastic dining experience for the community.