This story from 2017 takes us from garden to table with Chef Erika Yochum of Feast and a group of kids at Templeton Elementary School.

"Alice Waters' visit just reestablished the feeling that I already had, that schools should have gardens for their kids to be a part of, to see the progression of growing things and being a part of it. And then the restaurant being across the street-- it just seemed like a no-brainer."--Erika Yochum

Erika Yochum is the chef and owner of Feast Restaurant and Catering, and Feast Market and Cellar. Garden-fresh and local food are some of the themes of her work as a chef. A recent visit to Bloomington by Alice Waters, renowned chef and founder of the Edible Schoolyard Project, lit a fire in Yochum, to get involved in school gardening in her community. Lucky for her, the elementary school right across the street from her restaurant had an active school garden.

Last year she spent time helping in the garden, and about once a week she'd take a group of kids out to the garden to harvest what's available, and they bring it back to the classroom for a simple preparation that they can share with the whole class (71 students).

One week they made salsa with the tomatoes, peppers and herbs they harvested, plus the onions and garlic that had been curing in the shed since July (also grown in the garden). The next time, they made pesto with the basil and garlic, and served it on toast.

This classroom has three teachers, Rise Reinier, Kevin Gallagher and Megan Somers-Glenn. The class occupies three connected rooms and includes students ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade. Each week they have an hour-long session called Invitations. The children sign up ahead of time for the activity they'd like to try (you don't always get your first choice). The activities include topics such a Paint a Poem, Native Plants, Take it Apart, Origami, Rube Goldberg Contraptions, Knitting, Duct Tape Creations, Write a Song, Great Artists, Design a House and Gardening. Some sessions are led by and invited guest or teacher, some are student led.

Cooking with Erika allows for another level of engagement with the garden, and builds understanding about where food comes from and how it makes its way from the field to the table.

An update on this story, which first aired last fall on Earth Eats:

Erika Yochum organized a fundraising dinner to benefit the school garden. As a result, the teachers had new raised beds built in the garden, which are easier to maintain. The students in the classroom have enjoyed several dishes from the garden already this school year.

And, full disclosure, my son used to be a part of this classroom, and I've helped out with this garden.