Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts Teams up with American Farm Bureau Federation to Support Agriculture, Education and Focus on the Future of Food
National Program Kicks Off with Complimentary Live Online Event, Aug. 10
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts (Escoffier) and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) announce a new national collaboration designed to support the vital connection between farmers, ranchers and the culinary industry with education-focused programs, interactive events and training sessions.
Through this joint effort, AFBF will offer Escoffier culinary students unprecedented opportunities to interact with farmers across the country to better understand and experience sustainable farming practices and innovations in agriculture, including virtual learning sessions that augment Escoffier’s curriculum as well as live farm-to-table events. In addition, the culinary-farmer collaboration includes Escoffier’s participation in AFBF’s Convention, “Target Training” conference, “Amplify Agriculture” online series and networking events. Escoffier also becomes the preferred culinary school of AFBF throughout the duration of the relationship.
“This new alliance opens the door for us to cultivate meaningful relationships with aspiring chefs and culinary thought leaders and share advances and innovations in farming,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Farmers and ranchers produce the food that chefs choose and prepare every day. We look forward to sharing our stories and perspectives with those writing the menus that shape consumer dining trends.”
With nearly 6 million member families and 2,800 county Farm Bureaus, AFBF is the country’s largest general farm organization. AFBF’s national Promotion and Education Committee will lead the collaborative effort for the federation. The committee works to equip grassroots farmer and rancher members with effective tools to increase consumer awareness and understanding of agriculture. Escoffier currently has more than 7,300 students and is the largest culinary school brand in the U.S., with campuses in Austin and Boulder, including their degree and diploma programs offered online.
The collaboration kicks off Aug. 10 at 8:00 p.m. EDT with AFBF’s “Amplify Agriculture” complimentary online episode, “Sowing Seeds of Knowledge: Exploring the Essential Collaboration between Farmers and Culinary Education.” Escoffier Provost and Boulder Campus President Kirk T. Bachmann and Director of Education Stephanie Michalak White will be interviewed and on hand for a live question and answer session. Registration is complimentary and open to the public.
“It is essential to understand where our food comes from, how it’s grown and produced, and who better than farmers and ranchers to bring lessons on agriculture and best practices to life,” said Bachmann. “Escoffier’s commitment to farm-to-table and teaching sustainable practices is a natural fit with the goals of Farm Bureau members who are passionate about conveying the significance of agriculture. We are grateful for this opportunity to work together,” he added.
