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Marion County Farm Bureau’s Farm to Family program was developed to teach the Marion community how to cook affordable and nutritious meals using simple ingredients and available resources. A Farm to Family cookbook was developed using simplified recipes to accommodate any budget or skill level.

This fall, the Farm to Family program worked with the Harding XL students. Volunteers from Farm Bureau and OSU Extension worked with small groups of students to cook meals from a provided cookbook. Students sampled the other groups’ meals and took leftovers home to their families. They learned the importance of food safety, proper cooking techniques, and how to modify a recipe based on the food they already have at home.

A shopping trip to Aldi wrapped up the program for the fall. During the shopping trip, students were paired with a volunteer who helped the student buy items on their grocery list to make two meals from their cookbooks at home. Students learned how to shop under a budget and how to price compare while considering items needed for their families. Students were also given kitchen items to take home including a spice kit, cutting board, measuring cups and electric skillets.

The Harding Farm to Family program has one session in the spring and one in the fall. Educating our communities on the importance of food and agriculture is the foundation of the Farm to Family program.