This summer, children between the ages of 10 and 17 years old are invited to join a hands-on culinary camp taught by professional chefs Maureen Clancy and Bruce Hoffmann at Skidmore College.

Weekly sessions will run Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 1 pm and campers will learn the basics of cooking with fresh food straight from local farms.

Mondays will be dedicated to making field trips to local farms to get fresh produce and cheeses, as well as tour the farm.

“Everyone should know what goes on at farms, and know where their food comes from. Buying local is becoming more important today because it uses less gas to get food from one place to another and it is helpful to our communities and green space,” he said. “We really want the kids to understand where food comes from—seed to skillet.”

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, produce bought in supermarkets travel an average of 1,500 miles before they are put into consumers’ refrigerators and salads, and a substantial amount of fossil fuels are used in transporting and refrigerating the products.

The products are generally over a week old when it is purchased by consumers.

“We want to reduce the carbon footprint of transporting food, and everyone knows that fresh food tastes better and is better for us,” Hoffmann said.

Another advantage to buying locally is the reduced threat of food contamination, such as the spinach and tomato scare that the country has experienced recently, Clancy said.

What Hoffmann and Clancy teach depends on what is available to harvest and the menu will be aligned accordingly. They will cover a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu and all of the items will be easy to recreate at home for the whole family to enjoy. Clancy and Hoffmann will also teach campers how to store or freeze leftover food items to use at a later date.

“This gives the campers and opportunity to expand what they know about food and cooking. It’s one thing to prepare a zucchini to make bread, but it adds a new element when we take an over abundance and pack it to use later, when the zucchini is out of season,” Clancy said.

Each day will culminate with a sit-down meal to taste and critique the food. Campers will have the chance to voice their opinions and make suggestions.

“I’m really excited for this opportunity for the campers,” Clancy said. “These are good things for

everyone to know. Letting the campers experience shopping locally and supporting our farmers is becoming more important by the day.”

There are four weekly sessions offered, during the week of July 7, July 14, July 21 and July 28 and openings for each week are still available. For more information call Bruce Hoffmann at (518) 526-1216.