An idea hatched by a local educator following a health scare five years ago is bearing its fruit - and vegetables.
Erie Community College staff and students joined officials from the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation and other guests to celebrate the first harvest from the Learning Garden, located in Buffalo's Canalside.
The garden supports ECC's culinary arts program. The idea to do something to promote healthy foods came to ECC assistant professor Kristin Goss five years ago, after she survived breast cancer.
"It was something I firmly believe. You have to heal your body with food," said Goss. "If you're not eating the right food, you're not going to succeed with your health. That's where the dream and the vision started."
Goss and other staff and students pitched the idea to school president Jack Quinn, who at Tuesday's celebration stated that he had no part in building the Learning Garden, other than getting pressure from the right people at the right time. He credited the students and staff for applying that pressure.
He also thanked ECHDC chairman Robert Gioia, who was present, for helping set aside a space for the Learning Garden, which will give ECC a chance to showcase its culinary garden in a high-traffic part of Buffalo's waterfront.
"This is probably the biggest thing, as we talk about having a presence in the community, to be on this site in this area around us, which brings our culinary department up a notch in front of thousands and thousands people that tour this area," Quinn said.
Guests were invited to pick offerings from a table of carefully sculpted fruits and vegetables, as well as sample three beverages made using fruits, vegetables and herbs from the garden.
In addition to learning food skills, the culinary students are also gaining an education in how to successfully manage a garden, including knowing how to group plants that may grow better depending on how they're matched up.
"When I started this whole dream, I really was speaking to a bunch of individuals that knew nothing about growing anything from a garden," Goss said. "They had no concept of what food costs. And these are future culinarians that are teaching and cooking for our community. I knew this was an integral part of their education."
