Cooking up Kitchen Literacy with the Fontana Regional Library!
The Library's Doing What Now?
The kitchen can often seem like a daunting place, but it serves as the gateway to great experiences and even greater foods.
Across the Fontana Regional Library system, kitchen literacy programs are springing up to help patrons to make informed food choices and improve understanding of their food sources.
These programs stretch across all age groups, ranging from toddlers up to senior patrons. With support from a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, various supplies for kitchen literacy have been purchased and distributed across the library system.
The libraries have employed various techniques to expand kitchen literacy. Macon County Public Library has partnered with the Macon County Food Council to create a farmers market supported recipe campaign. Each recipe features different pieces of produce directly available from the farmers market, as well as how-to videos linked through QR codes. Recipe cards remain available throughout the year, being swapped out to represent seasonal vegetables and fruits.
Additionally, libraries in the county regularly hold hands-on kitchen literacy classes, directly engaging patrons in the act of creating their own dishes. These programs utilize on-the-go kitchen stations called Charlie Carts. Equipped with a three-part induction oven and sink, the carts aid participants in crafting healthy, and nutritional meals.
For younger chefs, the Charlie Carts are stocked with child-friendly cooking tools, ensuring complete safety while still engaging young minds in the enjoyment of cooking.
“[I enjoyed] the experience of hands-on learning with the ability to reap the rewards!” said a teen participant.
Just a few months ago, the library provided teen patrons with a muffin baking activity. Named ‘Muffin Magic,’ the program was led by nutritionist Kim Terrel from the NC Extension office and welcomed various teens who engaged in quality hands on baking.
Participating teens held the program in high regard and highlighted the patience of the teachers as well as the importance of engaging with fellow teens in the program evaluations.
Fontana Regional Library’s programming has equipped its community with both a space to engage with one another and opportunities to learn how to create healthy meals.
The kitchen doesn’t have to be a scary place. With proper tools and knowledge, kitchen literacy grants families the tools to maintain healthy lifestyles and craft positive memories around food.
You can learn more about the project by visiting fontanalib.org
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This project is made possible in part by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (IMLS grant number LS-252476-OLS-22).