Fans of 4Roots Farm know about the agricultural nonprofit located in Packing, Orlando. A high-tech hydroponic district with a focus on sustainability and growing beautiful crops on a vast farm campus. Issues including food insecurity. But John Rivers, founder of City Beautiful Barbecue fame, had more education in mind.
It is in this spirit that 4Roots Farm’s monthly Harvest to Table event brings the spoils of its “living classroom” from farm to table. These hands-on dinners have a variety of focuses, from the style of eating to the people you eat with (from hat tips to Father’s Day programs in June).
“Since we began offering cooking events, our guests have expressed an interest in sharing cooking experiences with their families and re-establishing the connections that come from cooking together,” Alecia New, director of health and nutrition education at 4Roots Farm, told the Orlando Sentinel.
“The earlier children are exposed to healthy food, the more likely they are to continue eating healthy as they age,” says New. “The Culinary Health Institute also works closely with the educational programs offered at 4 Roots Farm and has seen that the differences in nutritional education and exposure to different foods changes their perspective.”
So on July 15, from 6 to 8 p.m., Harvest to Table: Family Night – Gather, Cook, and Enjoy will see the team from 4 Roots Farm’s Culinary Health Institute extend education to the next generation as guests and their children are invited to prepare a delicious three-course meal with Senior Culinary Director Chef Hari Prapaka.
Introducing 4Roots Farm’s new Senior Culinary Director: Hari Prapaka
“This event is open to children 18 and under as long as they are accompanied and supervised by an adult,” New explains.
“Families will be guided by Chef Hari as they get hands-on in preparing salads and entrees, including chopping, mixing, cooking, and plating. For those who need more creative inspiration, a separate table with coloring books and crayons is available.”
Using farm-fresh ingredients, guests cook with seasonal produce harvested on-site, as well as other delicious ingredients from 4Roots’ partner farms. And as the meals come together, Dr. Anupama Saigal’s expert health insights create a space where practical nutrition and meaningful family time intersect to support lifelong health and well-being.
Weather permitting, families will be invited to take a “wonderful stroll” through the farm campus before the event, New said.
“4Roots’ mission is to unlock the power of food to build healthy communities,” said New. “The Harvest to Table Family Night event creates an opportunity for families to connect food and health by learning how to source and prepare nutritious, delicious and affordable meals.”
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Detailed information
Tickets for the event are $100 (includes admission for one parent and one child; additional family members are $50 each). Visit 4rootsfarm.org/event/harvest-to-table-2. Location: 4Roots Farm Campus, 1101 N. John Young Parkway, Orlando.
