Dr. Tso-Cheng Chang was a pioneer of “no pesticides or herbicides” farming in the United States. His farm, which grows vegetables for his award-winning restaurant in Amherst, Mass., not only is one of the largest bean-spout producers in the nation, it also grows schizandra berries—which might be the ginseng of this decade.

Long before “shop local, buy local” became something Americans came to value, Dr. Tso-Cheng Chang grew his own Chinese vegetables to serve at his award-winning restaurant, Amherst Chinese Food, on Main Street in downtown Amherst, Mass. So when in 1983 he converted his farm in nearby Whatley into a small factory designed to mass-produce bean sprouts, it barely caused a ripple on the local business scene.

That same factory on Dr. Chang’s Farm recently celebrated its 30^th anniversary with the distinction of being one of the largest soybean- and mung-bean-sprout facilities in the United States.

“You would say from the success of his restaurant and the sprout farm that Dr. Chang epitomizes the American dream, but his story goes beyond that,” says Steven V. Dubin, spokesperson for Dr. Chang Naturals, which grows and wholesales the company’s certified schizandra berries. “In fact, it’s quite fitting that his farm is in a region known as Pioneer Valley because Dr. Chang has pioneered a number of things, most notably ‘no herbicides or pesticides’ farming.” 

Chang’s journey began in a small town in Shandong Province, China, where he was born in the late 1920s. He earned an undergraduate degree in agronomy from Taiwan University in 1953 and later emigrated to the United States, where he earned an M.S. in crop science from Michigan State University in 1966.

A new video from the American Meat Institute featuring a noted animal-welfare expert is part of the Glass Walls Project to increase transparency in the meat-and-poultry industry.

The American Meat Institute (AMI) recently released a video tour of a pork-slaughter plant hosted by leading animal-welfare expert Temple Grandin, Ph.D., professor of animal science at Colorado State University. The video is available on the institute’s dedicated animal-welfare website, www.AnimalHandling.org.

Also released with the video was a print companion brochure that may be downloaded. Single copies also are available upon request from the AMI. The pork-plant video tour and brochure augment the beef-plant video tour, also hosted by Grandin, which was released in August 2012. Since its release, the beef-plant video has been viewed nearly 50,000 times online and in countless classrooms and other settings.

Simply preparing for your classes and delivering material is never sufficient. You have an obligation to yourself, your students and your institution to stay in touch with the industry you represent by building your personal, professional brand.

By Paul Sorgule, MS, AAC

As a culinary-arts faculty member, program director or dean, you are a lifelong portal for every student you come in contact with. The value of their education extends beyond the quality of the material that you offer or even the important degree that they might eventually receive. The real value of their education lies in the ongoing significance of their connections to you and to the reputation of your institution

Students’ value expectations today are, as they should be, far greater than in the past. The stakes are more significant as a result of the escalating cost of a degree and the tangible outcomes that will be apparent throughout their careers. Students should expect that you and your institution will remain a resource for them and that the perceptions that peers and employers have of your institution remain positive as they move through various stages of their careers.

To this end, it is imperative that you invest in building your brand. By this I am referring to how you continue to enhance your knowledge and skills, the industry connections that you make, and your visible prominence in the fields of culinary arts and education.

Throughout your time in culinary education and even beyond, investment in your brand development is also an investment in every student’s brand development. I like to refer to this as your “network of influence.” LinkedIn is really an attempt to help individuals build on the concept of “network of influence” by encouraging professionals to catalogue those persons who have or could have an impact on their careers—directly or indirectly. Every time you invest in building professional relationships with others, you open a potential door for yourself and those with whom you have a “portal relationship.”

At the 9th-annual CAFÉ Leadership Conference, four educators earned recognition and professional development for unleashing creativity in the culinary classroom.

The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) recognized four educators in the 2013 CAFÉ-Idaho Potato Commission Innovation Awards at the 9^th-annual Leadership Conference of the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFÉ) in Miami, Fla., in June.

“From making farm-to-table a reality to harnessing technology as a teaching tool, thinking ‘outside the box’ leads to new ways of learning, greater understanding of fundamentals, and breakthroughs in process and application,” says Don Odiorne, IPC vice president-foodservice. “The Idaho Potato Commission is proud to support these extraordinary educators.”

Two educators from Johnson & Wales University’s College of Culinary Arts, North Miami campus, received the top award. Dr. Colin Roche, CEC, CCE, CHE, FMP, department chair and assistant professor, and Bruce Ozga, CEC, CCE, CHE, dean of culinary education, won with the Edible Landscape Project. The first phase of the project, which launched in 2010, replaced existing campus landscaping with various edible plants and spice and fruit trees such as cinnamon, mango, banana and citrus. Phase two, to launch this autumn, will erect a community greenhouse and garden. The project not only exposes culinary students to foods in their natural forms, but also supports the growing global farm-to-fork movement.

Two students’ winning dishes featuring Mexican avocado were enjoyed by attendees of CAFÉ’s 9^th-annual Leadership Conference.

Mexico is the leading source of fresh avocados in the United States. To celebrate the versatility and goodness of Mexican avocados in foodservice, Avocados From Mexico (AFM) hosted a recipe competition among students enrolled in the two schools that served as sites for CAFÉ’s 2013 Leadership Conference in Miami, Fla., in June: Johnson & Wales University, N. Miami campus, and Miami Culinary Institute at Miami Dade College.

Dilia Capuzzo, representing Miami Culinary Institute, won with her Avocado Crème Brûlée. Her goal was to create something tropical, summery and cool to say “Miami.”

Ruben Santa-Robles, representing Johnson & Wales University, wowed judges with his Mediterranean Avocado Flatbread, which paired creamy avocado with the complementary tastes of salt from prosciutto and brine from capers.

Both dishes were served at the welcome reception on June 20, eliciting delight from conference guests. (Recipes with accompanying photos may be downloaded using the links below.)

AFM is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association (MHAIA), formed for the purpose of advertising, promotion, public relations and research for all stakeholders of avocados from Mexico. Under agreements, MHAIA and the Mexican Avocado Producers & Packers (APEAM A.C.) have combined resources to fund and manage AFM, with the intent to provide a focused, highly effective and efficient marketing program in the United States. AFM is headquartered in Denver.

Photo:Students Dilia Capuzzo from Miami Culinary Institute and Ruben Santa-Robles from Johnson & Wales University won the recipe contest sponsored by Avocados From Mexico at CAFÉ’s 9^th-annual Leadership Conference in Miami, Fla., June 20-22.

DOWNLOAD, Avocado Crème Brûlée

DOWNLOAD, Mediterranean Avocado Flatbread