Bowraville Central School has played host to the inaugural paddock to plate event on the grounds of the school farm.
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The event, which was held in November, was promoted as a “surprise menu”, revealing only that pork and lamb would be served for the main course.
Year 10 agriculture students spent six months planning the event and growing the produce required to feed more than 45 guests.
When guests arrived, they were met with a welcome table filled with sunrise mocktails and mini quiches that were made using farm produce and a mixture of school farm and Yamstick Organic eggs.
In the distance were two beautifully decorated long tables in the paddock, adorned with fresh flowers the students had collected from the school.
Guests wandered around looking at photo walls, purchasing from the produce stall and admiring the gardens, before the students took them on a farm tour.
Students proudly spoke of their enterprise projects and how they had contributed to the meal being served later that evening. When guests arrived at the chook pen, they were served a duo of devilled eggs, some were coloured purple, which the students achieved using beetroot they had dehydrated and turned into powder.
It was then time for guests to be seated, where they were served the third appetizer – spinach, herb and garlic dip served with herb twists.
The hospitality students did a wonderful job of ensuring the guests’ mocktails and spritzers were kept topped-up.
The guests were encouraged to take a scarecrow selfie with the school’s National Agriculture Day scarecrows.
Next it was time for the main course – pulled pork or marinated lamb served with chipotle mayo or tatziki, a rainbow salad and fresh potato salad, made using potatoes grown as an enterprise project.
The pigs and lamb were all born on the farm and butchered by a local mobile butcher. Students spent a term studying pigs and enjoyed the ear tagging and vaccinating program.
The tea lights were lit and the full moon was rising when guests were treated to dessert – a wafer filled cannelloni with citrus curd cheesecake, or an orange and poppy seed cake served with honey ice-cream, which was harvested from a recent beekeeping course some of the students attended.
The citrus used in the curd and cake had been collected, juiced and zested onsite by the students, before being frozen to use specifically at the event.
Agriculture teacher Lori Wilson said the students and their enterprise projects shone on the night.
“It was a fantastic team event and wonderful to be celebrating the achievements of the agriculture students and showcasing the beautiful school farm,” she said.
“Thank you also to Eve Riches and her hospitality students for their hard work styling the event, plating and serving the food and drinks.”
Special guests on the night included Mayor Rhonda Hobin and MP Melinda Pavey, who said it was “a perfect night of fine food sourced from the school’s ag plot.”
While Mayor Hoban congratulated the students and BCS staff Lori Wilson and Eve Riches, for creating a wonderful event to showcase the Bowraville Central School’s facilities.
By LORI WILSON
