What’s Right With Schools: East Haven high schoolers grow their own ingredients

EAST HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — It’s school lunch week and in one community, they’re growing ingredients, cooking up a great day ahead.

The kitchen is busy inside taking and preparing orders, but it’s what is happening outside that makes “The Hive,” a student-run cafe, so special.

“We have a cucumber vine ‘tresling’ through the middle of it trying to grow a little more,” Culinary Instructor at East Haven High School Heather Profetto said.

These East Haven high schoolers are growing their own ingredients and building a menu around what’s fresh.

“It adds kind of a homey element. You pick at your garden and then use it like you have a garden at home and then you can cook for your family. That’s how I think of it,” East Haven High School junior Joshua Rivera said.

The students take pride in their work while coming together as a team.

“They’re amazed when they come out here and try it. We had fresh cucumbers and the girls wanted to make ranch dressing. They wanted to know if we had it. We don’t have bottled anything,” Profetto said. “You have to make it. So they got a recipe and made it. They were dipping their cucumbers in it…and they’re like this is the best cucumber I ever ate. Or the best strawberry I ever had.”

What’s great is that they’re doing companion planting. Figuring out what grows best together to support the growth and keep unwanted guests away

“The marigold smell deters the groundhogs, they don’t like it. So they stay away and you protect your plant,” Profetto said.

They serve meals fresh for students and teachers.

“I tell the teachers that I made it and let me know how it tastes. Because I want to know the feedback from the teachers and if they enjoyed it or not,” said EHHS senior Tahnai Murdock.

The students get graded on their effort and learning.

“If they make a mistake, that’s ok with us. We want them to make a mistake because we learn so much from those mistakes.”

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