30
October
2019
|
14:10 PM
America/New_York

Microgreens grown by Milton Hershey School students enhance dining at The Hotel Hershey

MHS Agriculture Students Grow Microgreens for The Hotel Hershey

Summary

Portions of this article originally appeared on MHSKids.org.

Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company (HE&R) is proud to help fulfill the dream of our founder, Milton S. Hershey, by providing value to Milton Hershey School (MHS) in its mission of helping students lead happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives - just as Mr. Hershey intended.

This summer, as part of a nine-week internship opportunity, MHS students interested in Agricultural and Environmental Education collaborated with The Hotel Hershey to learn the business of growing and selling microgreens. They learned how to plant, properly grow and cut microgreens, and they took crops to The Hotel Hershey to conduct a tasting survey with a dozen chefs. Additionally, Chef Mario Oliverio, Executive Sous Chef at The Hotel Hershey, conducted a demo for students on the importance of growing herbs. 

I believe [this relationship] has been an important bridge between the two properties to build a strong relationship with the students. 
Chef Mario Oliverio, Executive Sous Chef at The Hotel Hershey

Inspired by an earlier collaboration with the chefs at The Hotel Hershey to plant an herb garden on the hotel property, the summer interns built upon the relationship to learn more about the field of agri-business.

Microgreens are a high-value salad crop. They are used in restaurants to add bold flavor, color and texture. The leafy vegetables are harvested soon after the seeds begin to grow and are used for salads, garnishes, and sandwiches.

MHS started growing microgreens in 2018, but it did not flourish until the collaboration began this summer with HE&R. It took several months to work out the business side of the project, and the first order was placed this fall.

 

This project is an exciting opportunity for MHS students to experience the farm-to-table business model including the process of receiving product orders, filling the orders, and invoicing a vendor.
Nanette Huffman, MHS Senior Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Currently, The Hotel Hershey has a standing weekly order of six types of plants that its chefs use in The Circular, Harvest and Trevi 5. The plants include kohlrabi, garnet red amaranth, popcorn shoot, bean sprouts, spicy mustard greens and micro basil. Guests can find them in a wide variety of dishes, from pizza at Trevi 5 to the popular cocoa-dusted scallops at The Circular. The weekly orders are prepared by an after-school student intern and the MHS plant club.

 

These plants are fresher than anything the Hotel can order in. They’re getting a great product and helping teach our students.
Jason Smith, MHS Instructional Advisor at the Horticultural Center
Most microgreens are only one week old when buying from different farms. We have the opportunity to get different maturity from MHS, which has resulted in a longer shelf life.
Chef Mario Oliverio, Executive Sous Chef at The Hotel Hershey

Through this local partnership and the guidance of staff and HE&R employees, students benefit from hands-on learning opportunities and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) curriculum.

Learn more about our comprehensive STEAM curriculum and Agriculture and Environmental Education program.

 

Achievement Beyond Expectation

For more than 100 years, Milton Hershey School has helped children to realize their full potential by offering a top-notch education to students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade from income-eligible families.

Milton Hershey School is a cost-free, private, coeducational school in Hershey, PA. The school offers state-of-the-art facilities, advanced technology and hundreds of extracurricular activities.

Milton and Catherine Hershey established the school in 1909 to provide a positive, structured home life year-round to help children gain the skills to be successful in all aspects of life.

Today, more than 2,000 students from across the U.S. attend Milton Hershey School. They have access to unique award-winning programs, experienced teachers and caring adult mentors.

Curriculum includes rigorous academics with opportunities for hands-on learning, after-school homework hours and tutoring assistance. Because class sizes are small, students get individualized attention and the opportunity to explore their own interests and abilities.

Milton Hershey School believes all children deserve the very best education regardless of their financial circumstances. A family’s income should not determine a child’s outcome.

Learn more about admission to MHS.

Consider a career at Milton Hershey School.

Read about the school's history.