Green thumbs up
Published 12:29 am Thursday, February 23, 2012
Daily Star photos/AARON MUELLER Mark VanTil, Niles Community Gardens organizer, cooks up some caramelized onions Wednesday during cooking classes at Ferry Street Resource Center in Niles. Below, Renee Harris, program associate with Michigan State University Extension, talks about the food pyramid at a cooking class at the Ferry Street Resource Center in Niles. Upcoming classes are 2 to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 29, March 7, 14 and 21 at the Ferry Street Resource Center and 6 to 7:30 p.m. March 12 and 26 and April 16 and 30 at Northside.
It may be winter but that doesn’t mean the Niles Community Gardens green thumbs aren’t keeping busy.
Six community gardens members gathered Wednesday for a nutrition class, led by community gardens organizer Mark VanTil and Renee Harris, a Michigan State University Extension program associate.
“You’ve been growing healthy things. Now we want to eat healthy,” Harris said.
Wednesday’s class was the second of several classes to be held between now and the end of April. The next class will take place at 6 p.m. Monday at Northside Child Development Center.
Harris taught on healthy portion sizes, before VanTil gave a cooking demonstrationon caramelizing onions, using olive oil, sugar, salt and butter.
VanTil says the community gardens group isn’t just about learning gardening skills but also what to do with the harvest. The group spends time sharing recipes and discussing gardening and health and wellness topics.
