Latin Culinary Arts Initiative,
from Farm to Table and Food Safety

Logo Escuela de Administración de Hoteles y Restaurantes de la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Carolina.

School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration of the University of Puerto Rico

General Objectives

1

You will recognize the complex world of food production, its problems and opportunities: its trends, needs, expectations and scope. 

2

You will recognize the different movements of alternative, sustainable food systems, including: KM 0, Farm-to-Table and you will have a vision of the different alternatives for the production and supply of food currently and in the future and ideas to implement in their businesses.

3

You will talk and clarify doubts directly with local farmers who will present you with a clear idea of ​​the products of Puerto Rico, the advantages of our soils, the climate and what disadvantages we face.

4

You will plan a menu according to seasonal products through traditional sustainable and innovative ways, with the help of local production companies that implement alternative and sustainable methods.

5

You will structure a relationship plan with local producers that exist in Puerto Rico and how they could be used in your business or personal life.

6

Through a guided visit to a farm, you will have an experience of local production, an agro-gastronomic tour will be provided where you will have the experience of tasting edible flowers, a brief orientation on the work done on the farm and will culminate with a lunch almost at your home. Farm-to-Table entirety.

7

You will understand the dynamics of Farm-to-Table with restaurants and the challenges that the tourism and food and beverage industries present in relation to sustainable food production.

Thematic Content Distribution

Introduction to
Farm-to-Table

(4 horas)

  1. Brief history of what Farm-to-Table is and revolutionary movements
  2. What is industrial agriculture and its effects on the environment and humanity
  3. What do monocultures do?

Agri-food products as a tool for local development

(4 horas)

  1. Production and management of organic and quality foods (agriculture, Livestock, fishing)
  2. Derived products, edible flowers
  3. Native product vs local product; local production, advantages and disadvantages
  4. Food, farms and communities

The future of agriculture

(4 horas)

  1. The Chef and the farmer; the same philosophy of life
  2. Short networks of value and innovation
  3. Food security and proactivity as a fundamental piece for innovation in the Caribbean
  4. The union of the tourism industry and the agricultural industry
  5. New agricultural models and small businesses within the tourism industry
  6. A look at culinary agriculture in Puerto Rico; a replicable model.

Gastronomy in Puerto Rico

(4 horas)

  1. Traditional native Puerto Rican food
  2. Agriculture and its gastronomic roots; the traditions of a country, town or territory
  3. The New Puerto Rican Cuisine its bases and the new generation of chefs and farmers
  4. The trinomial tourism, gastronomy and agriculture; gastronomic tourism as an innovation sector

Purchases within the system Farm-to-Table

(4 horas)

  1. Define sustainability when buying local products
  2. Options when purchasing products directly from local farms or suppliers and problems you may face
  3. Food safety (product management)
  4. Green practices in business within the tourism industry with a specialty in the sale of food and beverages

Menu creation by season (from the farm to the restaurant)

(4 horas)

  1. Identify the agri-food products produced in Puerto Rico by region
  2. Which companies offer products with the required sustainability standards to offer a Farm-to-Table experience
  3. Menu design (attractions and specialty that will make the sale)
  4. Menu creation (idea for your business)

Market your product

(4 horas)

  1. What is your market niche?
  2. Agro-gastronomic places and experiences in PR (examples)
  3. Presentation of local dishes by a guest chef
  4. Service and sales training (management and work team)

News:

Enlaces de Interés:

USDA Local and Regional Food Systems Resource Guide

Resources from the United States Department of Agriculture to support local and regional food systems.

USDA Food and Nutrition
Service

Increase food security and reduce hunger in partnership with cooperating organizations.

ServSafe Certifications:

Certificación de ServSafe de Procurador de Exámenes al Dr. Felipe González
Certificación de ServSafe al Dr. Felipe González
Certificación de ServSafe de Instructor al Dr. Felipe González
Certificado ServSafe de Jesmarie Ramirez
Logo USDA

The project supports NIFA's food security goals as well as the following USDA goals: "Improve and increase the production of goods and services from working lands while protecting the nation's natural resource base and environment." and “Ensure the development of human capital, communities, and a diverse workforce.” The main objective is to benefit more than 120 participants over a period of two years.

The proposal will meet the following areas of priority need:

  • attract and support undergraduate students from underrepresented groups to prepare them for careers related to agri-food sciences;
  • increase the number of underrepresented graduates in this discipline, and
  • align the efforts of UPRCA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services (USDA-FNS) to support the academic development and career achievement of underrepresented groups.

The proposal addresses the areas of educational need: a, b, c, e, & f. The primary academic focus is the creation of a new Associate Degree in Culinary Arts with a strong focus on Food Safety and the Latino Farm to Table methodology. Trained faculty members will create and offer certifications to more than 100 UPRCa students and rural food service employees. In conjunction with the USDA-FNS and the Innovation Fund for Agricultural Development in PR (FIDA), we aim to develop more than ten professional development, educational and networking events in Puerto Rico related to the culinary industry, in Spanish and for the Hispanic market.

Using SHRA's mission statement, UPRCa's institutional learning outcomes, and graduate profile as a guide, SHRA faculty formulated seven (7) program learning outcomes (PLOs) that clearly define the program's goals regarding to student learning. Upon completion of the hotel management program, students will have the ability to: identify the principles and skills of global hotel management, describe and apply customer service skills, demonstrate effective bilingual communication (Spanish and English), demonstrate effective critical thinking, evaluate issues and trends affecting the global hospitality industry, exemplify effective leaders in the hospitality industry, and develop a sense of social awareness and community involvement locally and globally.