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Four area businesses have donated essential baking ingredients to the NDSCS Culinary Arts department. These ingredients provide significant support for the department by supplying frequently-used ingredients for the program’s baking projects, while giving students the opportunity to bake using locally sourced products.

“We teach our students that great products can be found a short distance from your back door,” said NDSCS Culinary Arts Associate Professor Kyle Armitage. “This is a large movement happening in food service. The focus on using local products is great for the environment as well as the producers. Now our students have the opportunity to learn and practice with ingredients from right here in the Red River Valley.”

The donated products include:

• 2000 pounds of sugar from Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative of Wahpeton, N.D. This extra-fine sugar donation will provide for the department’s baking projects for approximately two years. Armitage noted the easy ability of this sugar to dissolve without over mixing.
• 20 gallons of corn syrup from Cargill of Wahpeton, N.D. This product will be used in baking units for the program, as well as by the student-led Chef’s Club, which will use the corn syrup in pecan pies for its annual pie sale.
• 50+ pounds of fresh baker’s yeast from Lallemand Inc. of Wahpeton, N.D. This contribution will supply all of the department’s yeast needs for the academic year. The yeast will be used for the program’s bread unit, and for any yeast doughs made for the 6^th Street Eatery in the spring.
• 300+ pounds of high protein bread flour from Ardent Mills in Fairmount, N.D. The flour is made from red spring wheat harvested in this region, and will be used for bread, sweet yeast doughs, pizza and pasta. This will supply the department’s bread flour needs for the year.

“We are so thankful for these generous donations of ingredients that we would typically need to purchase on a regular basis for our day-to-day program needs,” said Armitage. “We have wonderful support from our community. This fall, community members provided 800 pounds of apples for our students to use in baking projects. We hope to continue to grow and expand these partnerships to provide even more value for our students.”

The NDSCS Culinary Arts program provides students with a broad range of skills and experience that enables them to be employed in a variety of careers within the food service and hospitality industry. Additional information about the program can be found online at ndscs.edu/culinary.

By Tri-College University

There is no doubt that 2020 has presented challenges without precedent. Academic challenges, nimbleness and creativity have been at the forefront in higher education. The campus faculty and the students were dramatically affected by limited physical access to the campuses due to COVID-19. Faculty had to quickly and expertly switch from students in the seats and side by side in labs to a distance instructional model. This dramatic shift to essentially migrate to 100% online platforms in a period of generally only two weeks ignited the spirit of creativity and collaboration by dedicated faculty.

To honor and hold up faculty members who successfully transitioned from traditional in class instruction to alternative distance delivery options, Tri-College University has awarded Tri-College University Excellence in Innovation and Adaptive Education Awards.

Benjamin Whitmore from North Dakota State College of Science was selected for the award for his excellence, innovation, creativity and successful use of advanced technology in producing high quality education under the challenge of limited time allowed for successful transition to a fully distance delivery classroom as a result of the global pandemic.

“Education faculty were challenged with developing new delivery systems over a very short period to ensure quality instruction prevailed over the challenges presented by COVID-19 limitations. Educators performed this task with amazing results and ensured that students stayed on track to achieve their academic goals. Benjamin has the additional challenge in that this occurred during his first year of full-time instruction,” said Tri-College Provost Tim Flakoll.

These commendation awards will help highlight excellence, inspire creativity and fuel how we will deliver excellent instruction in the future.

Tri-College University partnered with Xcel Energy to provide five (5) awards, one at each of the partner campuses of Concordia College, MSUM, NDSU, M State and NDSCS. Award recipients received a plaque and cash award.

Tri-College University is a partnership who this year celebrates their 50^th anniversary. Their partner campuses represent approximately 35,000 full and part time students.

By Frank Stanko

Jared Wick knows the pressures of competing and setting the best example for his teammates. His playing field just happens to be the kitchen.

Wick, a second year at North Dakota State College of Science, was one of eight culinary arts students who led the school to seventh place at the 2017 Central Regional Culinary Salon Competition. Not only did he represent NDSCS, but North Dakota itself.

“Every knife cut, you want it to be good, just to justify your being captain. It’s a pressure, but it’s a good pressure,” he said. “It taught me to strive more, to work harder and to be a leader.”

Held by the American Culinary Federation from Friday, Feb. 3-Saturday, Feb. 4, the 2017 competition took place in Joliet, Illinois. Thanks to the event’s point system, NDSCS qualified as a bronze-level winner.

Read the full article online at wahpetondailynews.com.

The NDSCS Culinary Arts program has opened its student-operated restaurant for the spring semester. The 6th Street Eatery, formerly known as the River Valley Inn, is now accepting reservations. Dates and hours of operation, as well as weekly menus, can be found online at ndscs.edu/6thstreeteatery. Reservations can be made by calling 701.671.2405.

The 6th Street Eatery is operated by students in the NDSCS Culinary Arts program, and features a variety of menus with a different theme each week. The restaurant is located in the Red River Valley Room in the Hektner Student Center on the NDSCS campus in Wahpeton, and is open on select Tuesday and Thursday evenings throughout the spring semester.