Penn College News

Penn College Hosts Grazing Conference

Friday, October 20, 2006

Kim Seeley, of Milky Way Farms, presents Chef Michael J. Ditchfield, instructor of food and hospitality management/culinary arts, and Frederick W. Becker, dean of hospitality, with a cookbook in honor of the school's support of grass-based farming. Chef Michael J. Ditchfield, instructor of hospitality management/culinary arts, demonstrates how to braise short ribs. Penn College played host to the fifth annual Pennsylvania Statewide Project Grass Conference on Oct. 20-21. The event offered informative seminars for farmers and marketers involved with grazing and selling grass-fed products. During the Friday afternoon general session, the group honored the college's School of Hospitality for its work in supporting local farmers and for the college's use of grass-fed beef and dairy products, both in Le Jeune Chef and in Food Services. Speakers for the invent included state Sen. Roger A. Madigan and state Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff. Chef Michael J. Ditchfield, instructor of hospitality management/culinary arts, and student Michael S. Bennett, of Elmira, N.Y., demonstrated how farmers can use cooking methods to add value to less-prized cuts of meat.