Applications for Ohio Farm Bureau Health Plans now available
Members have three ways to apply: contacting a certified agent, calling 833-468-4280 or visiting ohiofarmbureauhealthplans.org.
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Brittnee Rourke, Mia Hackney and Jasmine Miranda may not be household names (yet), but they have brought to life the recipes Our Ohio readers are going to make in their own households in 2020.
The student chefs at Lorain County Community College’s Culinary Arts program pored over hundreds of recipes and made 24 of them “their own” to be featured in this year’s publications.
“They spent a lot of time (in the training kitchen) before their menu development class. (Creating recipes for Our Ohio) is something unique that they might not get the chance to do in other venues,” said Bradley Ball, senior instructor with the program. “We chose Brittnee, Mia and Jasmine for this very special project because it was a unique opportunity to reward some very special students that we have.”
Rourke is from Amherst and is a second year culinary student. She said from a very young age, she has always had a keen interest in food.
“I’ve always had a passion for cooking and everything that comes with it. In this industry, there’s always something new to learn, there’s so much to be discovered, the creativity and technique never ceases to amaze me, and that’s always going to be exciting,” Rourke said. “I think that eating and preparing a meal is an experience. It brings people together, allows people to enjoy one another’s company and creates memories.”
Hackney of North Ridgeville, is a first year student in the program. She grew up loving music, art and food. She originally majored in music performance, but decided the culinary program was a better fit, allowing her to still create and express herself through food.
“Once I graduate from this program, I will either further my education in food science or travel around the world in search of more and more experiences in the kitchen and restaurant industry,” she said.
Culinary Arts students at LCCC work with members of Lorain County Farm Bureau to bring their creations to life — from start to finish. Seeing exactly where the food they serve originates is a key component of his young chefs’ experience, according to Chef Adam Schmith, director of the program.
“Our relationship with Farm Bureau gets stronger and stronger every year,” he said, noting the students’ relationships with individual farms, not only to create recipes, but also to plant and harvest produce as well as visiting dairy and livestock farms. “The students are getting hands-on experience that normally isn’t available to them in the classroom.”
The opportunity to work with farmers isn’t lost on any of the student chefs, including Miranda, a third year student, also from North Ridgeville.
“Our Lorain County farmers work so hard to provide us with the ingredients we need early in the morning, multiple days a week and it’s because of their efforts that we are even able to do what we do,” Miranda said. “It’s been incredible getting to witness what goes into growing and harvesting all of this produce. It’s been even better being able to prepare meals with such fresh ingredients and taste the wonderful flavors that can be produced from them.”
Featured Image: Student chefs Jasmine Miranda, Brittnee Rourke and Mia Hackney.
My first recommendation in your journey is to start out with a local farming friend or mentor along with joining an organization like Ohio Farm Bureau.
We’re just so thankful for the Farm Bureau and the foundation for helping put this together. And of course, the Boyert family for the vision they had with this grant. It’s jumping us forward 10 years. It’s unbelievable.
I could not have done it without the resources I have found through Farm Bureau.
It wasn’t until I joined the Wilmington College Collegiate Farm Bureau that I truly saw how my passion could translate into leadership, advocacy and a career.
The issue of property taxation remains as one of the biggest challenges our members face today. Ensuring agricultural property is valued for its agricultural potential and not development is critical to the continued success of Ohio agriculture.
Through the Select Partner program, we became educated in farm insurance and weren't just selling policies. It became more and more clear why farmers need an advocate like Ohio Farm Bureau.
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
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