Kathryn Hokamp
Real Food Revolution is a relatively new club at Rice University, but the group already has a reputation for their semi-annual Farm to Fork dinner, an event that has been held every semester since the spring of 2012. The group hosted their first Farm to Fork dinner even before gaining official club status on campus. Their eighth Farm to Fork dinner was held on Saturday, November 7th, and was in keeping with the original goal of bringing local food and discussion to Rice students.
This semester's dinner, attended by 70 students, was held in the Martel College Commons. The meal was prepared in the North Servery by Housing and Dining Executive Chef Alex Hernandez and sous chef Sarah Finster. Chef Sarah has helped with several Farm to Fork dinners in the past, but this was Chef Alex's first involvement with the event. Food was sourced primarily from the Rice University Farmers Market, showcasing products from Cellar Farm, Animal Farm, Texas Hill Country Olive Company, and Atkinson Farm among others.
Special guests including Beth Leaver, the manager of the Rice University Farmers Market, and graduate student/instructor Abby Goode facilitated discussions about food and where it comes from. In addition, tables were divided by discussion topics so that students and other attendees could network with those of similar interests. Some of the topics included "What is Local?", "Queer Food", and "Food and Fossil Fuels." For this semester’s Farm to Fork dinner, Real Food Revolution incorporated short presentations on current food projects at Rice. Undergraduates Andrew Bole, Andy Miller, and Bethany Fowler gave presentations about food and sustainability.
The next Farm to Fork dinner will be held in the spring semester. Students interested in learning more about Real Food Revolution are encouraged to contact Kathryn Hokamp at kathrynhokamp@gmail.com or Belle Douglass at bcd3@rice.edu and to “like” the group on Facebook.