Fresh Starts in Culinary Arts is a program developed by First Coast Technical College in cooperation with St. Augustine’s St. Francis House, a temporary home for members of the City’s hungry and homeless population. This four week program which began in August of 2013 is designed to provide residents of the St. Francis House with relevant training and certifications that will make them immediately employable in foodservice, the third fastest growing occupation in Florida. Enrolled students train in St. Francis House’s kitchen, through a mix of hands-on and classroom instruction, provided by FCTC Chef Instructor Ted Kowalski.

Each day, Fresh Starts students prepare and serve a gourmet lunch in St. Francis’s dining room. Students incorporate fresh herbs and vegetables picked from a local garden planted and nurtured under the guidance of FCTC’s Agri-Science program.

– See more at: http://fctc.edu/news/first-coast-technical-colleges-fresh-starts-in-culinary-arts/#sthash.4C3QNt3x.dpuf

Gin, Vodka and now Rum. Yes First Coast.TV got a chance to talk to Brendan Wheatley who is the Director of Production and Head Distiller at the St Augustine Distillery. We talked about their upcoming release of their pot distilled hand made rum. We talked ingredients and much, much more.

Farm Share’s mission is to alleviate hunger and malnutrition by recovering and distributing fresh and nutritious food to those who need it most.

Farm Share, using inmate labor and volunteers, re-sorts and packages an abundance of surplus food and distributes it to individuals, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, churches, and other organizations feeding the hungry in Florida — free of charge. This important distinction makes Farm Share critical to small community groups, located in poor neighborhoods and rural areas, which cannot afford to pay for food. By tapping into a vast supply of donated produce, we keep our costs low, while providing fresh fruits and vegetables and other nutritious food to the hungry and food insecure. However, the fact that we do not require our community partners to share the burden of our expenses makes Farm Share more reliant on donations from the public. If you do not help, we cannot help. Millions of Americans suffer from hunger and malnutrition. As family income levels decrease, funds available for food diminish, resulting in nutrient-deficient diets. America’s children and elderly are most severely affected by hunger and malnutrition.

http://farmshare.org/

The day before St Augustine’s St Patty’s Parade (March 13th, 2005) a whisky tasting event took place. It featured premium brands of whisky and took place under tent #2, at Francis Field. Robert Burns filled the tent with music as he played the Dulcimer, a very pleasant Celtic sounding instrument.