Becoming a part of the community.

“It’s not about just loving food and cooking; it’s about having an impact through food, making changes in the food world, and creating a community over food.”

Last month, we talked about culinary entrepreneurship; today let’s talk about culinary activism. There is no better time than now to focus on the needs of the community. There was a great article by Robert Egger (he was also a part of our curriculum summit) that spoke about now being the time for culinary institutes to teach culinary activism. We could not agree more.

This is another reason we are focusing on culinary leaders, as I have discussed in past newsletters. We want students to jump right in on-campus and wherever they go after the GCI, identifying obstacles and needs in the community. We want students who are not happy with the status quo but want to impact their neighbors’ lives. Not only that, but we want students who want to listen to community members, learn about different cultures and ethnicities, and are hungry to make a change. This means looking for opportunities to help those going through difficult times (unfortunately, today, that is not very hard to find).

Students will learn about food preferences and how to create nutritious meals and menus based on those preferences. They will learn about food safety and understanding the different distribution channels ensuring local foods are being used whenever possible. They will learn about understanding the economics behind feeding larger groups of people while still focusing on healthy nutrition and taste.

Our location puts us in the center of everything. JNF-USA is investing in a medical facility, food technology and innovation center, and the Lauder Employment Center in Galilee, all extremely important and impactful to the region. There are food and agtech incubators like Fresh Start and Trendlines in the area. There is a food institute being created by Tel-Hai College and the Migal Galilee Research Institute to help start-ups create prototypes at low costs. Also, there will be a foodtech industrial park, accelerators, tech platforms, an abundance of food businesses, and venture capitalists and investors.

We have a fantastic opportunity to jump into a community coming together overnight, allowing us to collaborate with notable companies and people. To achieve the success that we want, we will have to impact as a group, not on our own island. Together we can all help the North thrive as a whole. This is a major focus for us. We want to build a community and allow our students and team members to become a part of something much bigger than our interests. It’s not about just loving food and cooking; it’s about having an impact through food, making changes in the food world, and creating a community over food.

A little update on the business side of the GCI. We had an extraordinary storytelling summit, discussing our story and distributing valuable content to different audiences. Our curriculum and strategy are coming together, and another central focus area is our marketing plan. Contracts are being signed on the building front, and we keep meeting great people looking to work with us. Stay tuned for an announcement about a kick-off event in October 2021; we have so much in the works.

I want to wish everyone a happy, healthy, and meaningful Passover for those who celebrate. Even those who do not celebrate will find meaning in this holiday; The story is about leaving Egypt, in Hebrew, “Mitzrayim”. This word is related to the word “meitzar”, which refers to limitations and boundaries. A reminder for us all, to grow and become the best version of ourselves, we need to know all limits and boundaries are self-created. It is up to us to continually move forward in our mission in life.

L’chaim (To life)

Nathan