Jump Start students treated to farm-to-table dinner

A group of students from CWU’s Jump Start program was treated to a special on-campus cooking demonstration during Week of Welcome, thanks to a partnership between CWU Dining Services and the Wildcat Farm.

The Jump Start Farm Experience on September 18 consisted of a Farm tour, a cooking demonstration, and a farm-to-table dinner for 60 first-generation students, giving them a friendly introduction to their new surroundings before fall classes started.

The gathering also provided Auxiliary Enterprises staff with an opportunity to engage with CWU students face-to-face — something Dining Services Director Dean Masuccio and his team are trying to do more of.

“This event, and others like it, gave us a chance to interact with students organically and build relationships in the campus community,” he said. “We’ve been doing more of these types of events the past couple of years, and we believe they tie in well with CWU’s mission of building and maintaining meaningful relationships.”

Participants were split into two groups for the Farm tour, hosted by Farm Manager Kaitlyn Flesher, and the cooking demo, led by Campus Executive Chef Joe Ritchie. The students then came together to enjoy a pasta dish made with fresh vegetables grown at The Farm, including tomatoes, onions, and basil.

“We wanted to keep it simple so the students could take the recipe home and make it for themselves,” Ritchie said. “They were all very engaged and they asked a lot of great questions, which made it really fun for the staff. It also gave us a chance to show them what food service is all about. We are human, too, and we want to engage with them.”

Freshman Ari Ringsbye walked away from the event with a feeling of belonging that has carried through for her during the first month of her college experience.

“I really enjoyed the event because everyone was so personable,” she said. “The recipe was pretty simple, but Chef Joe was able to make something wonderful out of it. We also came away feeling like we could re-create the dish ourselves, which is helpful when you’re making the transition to living on your own.”

Ringsbye said she looks forward to testing out her cooking skills for her new friends in Hitchcock Hall.

“I come from a big family, and I love cooking for other people,” she said. “Sharing food is how I connect with others, and I see it as a way to build relationships. Learning these skills from a professional like Chef Joe gave me a lot of new ideas, and I hope to have more opportunities like this while I’m at CWU.”

The Dining Services team is planning to offer some hands-on cooking demonstrations this year after two successful demos in the Health Sciences teaching kitchen in February and March.

Ritchie has scheduled the next hands-on event for November 19, also at Health Sciences, and they are expecting a similar response.

“Students want to engage and we’re just trying to provide them with opportunities,” Masuccio said. “If we can bring people together around food, that’s always going to be a popular idea because food seems to be a common denominator for everyone.”

Especially when the food is top tier.

Since Ritchie arrived on campus in 2019, he has helped elevate the overall quality of products served by CWU Dining Services. He’s always glad to hear that the ever-evolving menus are being well-received, but for him, it’s more about creating a culture around human connections.

“It’s always fun to see how much the students appreciate these opportunities to engage with us,” Ritchie said. “You can just see it on their faces. They are absolutely blown away by the quality of the food, and how simple it is to prepare.”

Fall Quarter Full of Events

Another wildly successful Dining Services promotion this fall was the annual Bowls of Abundance event at the SURC.

The September 22 gathering in Holmes Dining Room attracted nearly 1,000 people — twice as many as last year — to enjoy bowls full of fresh, healthy ingredients, including produce from The Farm.

The event proved successful thanks to a campus-wide partnership between ASCWU, Auxiliary Enterprises, the Wildcat Pantry, the Provost’s Office, CWU Libraries, Campus Activities, the Admissions department, and Student Engagement and Success.

“We had a line outside to the Wildcat statue,” Masuccio said. “We couldn’t believe how many people showed up. We’re starting to see a level of energy on campus that we haven’t seen since before the pandemic.”

Dining Services also hosted a Welcome Back BBQ on September 20 and participated in the annual Bite of The ‘Burg in downtown Ellensburg on September 24.

Holmes Dining Room hosted a Dia De Los Muertos Dinner on Saturday, and the team is now looking forward to a series of other events on campus and in the community over the next couple of months, including the Community Thanksgiving on November 27; Late Night Breakfast on December 8; the annual CWU Holiday Dinner on December 4; and the Welcome Back Steak Night on January 9.

Meanwhile, CWU Catering has brought back its mobile food truck one day a week for Wagon Wednesdays, giving the campus community yet another lunch option on the Walnut Mall.

“We’re just trying to be in front of every student so we can build connections,” Masuccio said. “The events we are doing tie in very well to the university’s core values. But it also feels like we’re doing what’s right, and that makes us feel really good.”