Time for a Cooking Class!
I am proud to introduce you to the Tucson Village Farm. By now, you know I procure most of my vegetables, dairy, poultry, and meats from our local farmers market and other organic sources. Recently, I added another source for great veggies and eggs to my weekly shopping routine — the Tuesday afternoon market at the Tucson Village Farm. The Farm is a program of the Pima County Cooperative Extension and the University of Arizona.
In addition to the wonderful produce and eggs, they have home cooked and baked goods (thanks to Chef Becky), and they run the 4-H Healthy Living Ambassadors (HLA). HLA is a year-round teen leadership program that aims to teach the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and encourages participants to promote those concepts within their own communities.
Throughout each year-long session, almost 200 Ambassadors participate in educational projects, volunteer experiences, leadership training opportunities, and wellness programs designed to improve participants’ own health as well as that of their communities. They learn much about sustainability, food production, and — near to my heart — cooking. Seriously, how fantastic is this program?
It is inexpensive for the students to participate (registration fee: $20 for the year) and they offer scholarship for those who cannot afford it. The program itself is actually pretty expensive to run — staff, materials, seeds, etc. and that is where I came in. I heard through the grapevine that some of their funding got cut and I wanted to do something to help.
Over the past 15 years, I have fed my passion for sharing my love of food and cooking through cooking classes. I sat down with the leadership of the Tucson Village Farm and suggested I could help raise some funds for the Healthy Living Ambassadors program by donating a series of cooking classes based on the produce raised on the Farm. They loved the idea, and here I am today, promoting the first class!
I know this is for my Tucson community, so thank you all for reading. If your community has a program like this, please support it and make a difference for the young people where you live. If you are so moved by this program, you are welcome to make a gift by through their website, Support the Healthy Living Ambassadors. (Write in 4-H HLA as the designation)
Cocoa & Lavender Cooking Class to benefit the 4-H Healthy Living Ambassadors
Menu:
I hope to see you there to support the Tucson Village Farm!
Developed and maintained by Inspiratech LLC.
Design by Themeshift.
Donn Poll and Eric Nelson
January 31, 2024 at 6:18 amBrilliant! May we contribute to a scholarship for someone to take the course?
Cocoa & Lavender
January 31, 2024 at 6:43 amThat would be wonderful, Donn. If you click the link above (Support the Healthy Living Ambassadors), there is a field to designate your gift: write in 4-H HLA Scholarships. Thank you both so much! I wish you were here in town to take the class.
Mimi Rippee
January 31, 2024 at 6:33 amThis is wonderful! Definitely a great program, and I love seeing the kids involved. Your class will be a hit! Great menu.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 31, 2024 at 6:44 amThanks, Mimi — I am hugely impressed by the number of participants and the passion and energy the teens have for the program. It’s really wonderful. Fingers crossed that it is a hit!
Mad Dog
January 31, 2024 at 7:16 amThat looks fantastic – it’s great to see children learning where food comes from and how to cook it!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 31, 2024 at 8:28 amThanks, Mad Dog — it’s so incredibly important.
Jeff the Chef
January 31, 2024 at 7:53 amHow exciting. Kudos to you for this! It’s one thing to talk the talk, but another things to get in there and get involved. What a great chance to make a difference in people’s lives. Way to go!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 31, 2024 at 8:29 amJeff — I have been waiting to find the right place for myself in retirement, and this is it. I’m so happy to be doing something that will make a lasting difference.
Carolyne
January 31, 2024 at 9:04 amWhat a great program, and you will be a fantastic addition to their team. Bravo!
David Scott Allen
January 31, 2024 at 10:51 amThanks, Carolyne! I’m quite excited!
Vance Morgan
January 31, 2024 at 10:33 amDavid, perfect for your many talents. The Morgans will be making a donation.
Anne and Vance
David Scott Allen
January 31, 2024 at 10:52 amAnne and Vance — thank you so much. That is very generous of you, I’m so happy to have found the perfect way to use my passion for culinary arts to benefit young people.
Eha Carr
January 31, 2024 at 2:55 pmJust saw this on Instagram – am so glad to be able to read about the programme at greater length here and see all your photos! Truly kudos to you = may all go as you have planned and better . . . . and please tell us about the progress! Oh those wonderful kids’ faces . . . !
Cocoa & Lavender
January 31, 2024 at 3:23 pmI will definitely report back! It’s so wonderful to be able to work with young people, giving us all so much hope for the future!
sherry
January 31, 2024 at 4:54 pmthis is fabulous David. Good on you!
David Scott Allen
February 1, 2024 at 4:43 pmThanks, Sherry — I’m really looking forward to it.
Ronit
February 1, 2024 at 1:40 pmGreat program, and your way of helping it is wonderful!
Cooking brings people together. 🙂
David Scott Allen
February 1, 2024 at 4:43 pmIt’s a really fun way to keep involved in retirement, Ronit!
Gerlinde de Broekert
February 1, 2024 at 10:59 pmI just wish I could be there with you and take your class. What a great idea David. I can’t wait to hear how it turned out.
Cocoa & Lavender
February 4, 2024 at 8:16 amThanks, Gerlinde — I wish you could be here, too. It will be a lot of fun!
Ron
February 3, 2024 at 10:14 amWhat a wonderful thing your doing David! As a former 4-H leader, it makes my heart full to see the work they’re doing. Great menu as well.
Cocoa & Lavender
February 4, 2024 at 8:14 amThanks, Ron. I didn’t know — but love — that you were a 4-H leader! This is a fantastic program and I wish you were closer to visit it!
angiesrecipes
February 4, 2024 at 9:10 pmThis is fantastic, David. It feels great to be able to help others, doesn’t it? Thumbs UP for you and what you are doing, David!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 7, 2024 at 1:53 pmThanks, Angie — I am really excited!
Valentina
February 8, 2024 at 11:35 pmThis is truly fantastic, David. Such a great program. I definitely would’ve loved for my boys to have participated in something like this. I bet your class will be a huge hit. Wish I could be there to join. 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
February 10, 2024 at 7:18 amTo learn at such an age where our food comes from, how it is grown, how to cook it? Priceless! I wish this had been around for me — I would have loved it.
Raymund
February 14, 2024 at 3:20 pmDavid, your initiative to support the Tucson Village Farm and the Healthy Living Ambassadors program is truly commendable! Impressive indeed, I wish I was nearby because if I were, I would defitenily love to join you guys
Cocoa & Lavender
February 15, 2024 at 9:55 amI am very excited about working with the Tucson Village Farm! Such good people, and the young people are so excited about the work they’re doing.
Marcelle
February 28, 2024 at 8:25 amI wish they had a program like this one near me, I would put my kids in it! When I took them out of public school a few years ago, they lost access to so many extracurriculars, including band and 4-H and I regret that much of the move. 😔 Wonderful menu, David and thank you for supporting their program. I would be there if I could to take your class!
Cocoa & Lavender
March 9, 2024 at 9:19 amI wish you could be there, as well, Marcelle. Last week, on Wednesday evening, I taught some of the culinary apprentice students how to make piecrust and a couple of different tarts. We had a great evening, and I love their energy.
Christina Conte
March 28, 2024 at 6:50 pmI feel terrible as I had intentions to do a giveaway for someone to come to your cooking class from Tucson, but this year started out quite badly and is just now starting to feel like it’s normalizing (fingers crossed.) What a fantastic thing to do, David! Kudos to you! Hopefully next time I can support you!
Cocoa & Lavender
April 9, 2024 at 11:15 amOh, thanks Christina — the class was a great success raising over $3000 to help the teen leaders program.