K-State Extension’s Central Kansas District and the Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank are utilizing a new Charlie Cart, a mobile, hands-on kitchen designed to bring food and nutrition education directly into community settings.
According to KSU Extension, the Charlie Cart is a compact, fully equipped mobile kitchen that includes cooking equipment, utensils, preparation tools and storage. The cart allows educators to bring hands-on cooking experiences into schools, community organizations, food banks, libraries and other settings without the need for a traditional kitchen. The Charlie Cart Project also provides curriculum, training and support for food education programs.
“We’re excited about the possibilities this creates for our community,” said Lisa Newman, Family and Community Wellness Extension Agent with K-State Extension. “The Charlie Cart gives us another way to take nutrition education out into the community and make it hands-on, practical and accessible. We’re especially excited about the opportunity to work alongside community partners who are interested in bringing food and nutrition education to the people they serve.”
The partnership brings together the Food Bank’s focus on food access and education with K-State Extension’s research-based nutrition and wellness programming. K-State Extension provides nutrition education and resources to communities through schools, community organizations and other local settings.
The Charlie Cart can be used for a variety of activities, including cooking demonstrations, hands-on cooking classes, taste tests, food preparation lessons and activities that help participants learn how to prepare nutritious foods. Food banks across the country use Charlie Carts for cooking classes, taste testing and community engagement.
“We see the Charlie Cart as a tool that can help us build on the work we are already doing to address food access and food security in our community,” said Karen Couch, Executive Director of the Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank. “It gives us an opportunity to help people not only access food, but also gain skills and confidence in preparing and using that food.”
The Charlie Cart will make its community debut at the Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank’s upcoming STOCKTOBERFEST, a fundraiser for the pantry where community members will have an opportunity to see the mobile kitchen in action and learn more about its potential.
K-State Extension and the Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank are also interested in connecting with community organizations, schools, childcare providers, libraries, senior-serving organizations and other groups that would like to learn more about the Charlie Cart or explore opportunities to offer hands-on nutrition and cooking education.
“We see this as a community resource,” Newman said. “We want to partner with organizations that have an interest in helping people build practical food skills and make healthy choices. We’re looking forward to seeing where this partnership takes us.”
_ _ _
For more information about the Charlie Cart or potential programming opportunities, contact K-State Extension – Central Kansas District at 785-309-5850 or the Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank at 785-827-7111.
