Enough with the chicken wings and comfort foods -it's time to get your palate ready for spring. Alfred State College will host New York's first Lettuce Tasting event on Tuesday, April 22, 2008, in the new Student Gathering Place on campus. "Lettuce Indulge," hosted by Alfred State's Center for Organic and Sustainable Agriculture (COSA), will give students and members of the community the chance to sample COSA's produce while giving their taste buds an education in greens.
The event will feature several lettuce varieties grown in the greenhouse on campus, according to Matthew Harbur, PhD, director of COSA. The Center purchased the seeds in February from Johnny's Selected Seeds, one of the premier sources for organic seeds. Participants can graze among these lettuce varieties: Loma, Cherokee, Concept, Magenta, Malawi, Ferrari, and Galisse.
"We're going to conduct this like a more traditional wine tasting event. Tasters will receive a score card to grade their tastings and have the chance to sample organic dressings and then cleanse their palate between tastings with water and dense crackers," explained Karen Canne, director of Dining Services for Auxiliary Campus Enterprises and Services, Inc. (ACES). "We'd like to use the results of the scoring to complement our offerings on the salad bar in Central Dining Hall."
COSA and ACES currently work together at Alfred State College to provide real-world experience to the Center's students. Produce generated through the farm is used by Dining Services in their efforts to feed Alfred's 3,000 students. This demonstration in sustainability is a key component of COSA's plan for growing the Center.
Members of the community, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends are invited to the event:
Lettuce Indulge
Alfred State College Campus
Student Gathering Place/Central Dining Hall
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
April 22, 2008
Auxiliary Campus Enterprises and Services, Inc. (ACES) is a not-for-profit corporation that supports the mission of Alfred State College by providing dining services, campus bookstores, telecommunications, transportation and vending services to Alfred State College students.
