Chickens will be centre-stage in BC secondary schools this month as BCAITC introduce a new educational resource – the Spotlight Series on Chickens! This multi-faceted toolkit provides a selection of farm-to-table educational videos, activities, and recipes.

The Spotlight coincides with the Take a Bite of BC delivery of chicken into 59 BC schools with Culinary Arts programs this month - impacting 7,149 grade 11 and 12 BC Culinary Arts students and also helping influence an additional 65,000 students to eat locally grown dishes on a regular basis in school cafeterias.

The provision of chicken to the Take a Bite of BC classrooms this November is thanks to the generous donation from the BC Chicken Marketing Board. This month’s Take a Bite of BC delivery also includes:

• Oysters (courtesy of BC Shellfish Growers Association)
• Eggs (courtesy of BC Egg Marketing Board)
• Brussels Sprouts (courtesy of BCfresh) 
• Pears and Apples (courtesy of BC Tree Fruits)
• Leeks (courtesy of Van Eekelen Enterprises Ltd.)
• Whole Green Beans (courtesy of BC Frozen Foods)

Spotlight on Chickens

Take a Bite of BC classrooms, Home Economics classrooms, homeschools, and anyone interested in food and farming) can use the Spotlight Series on Chickens. The toolkit resources can be downloaded from this page include:

• Videos: Students can learn about broiler chickens in a 13-minute video featuring the team at Paragon Farms. They can also learn about broiler hatching eggs in a 9-minute video featuring the team at Meadow View Poultry. The videos are a collaboration of BCAITC and Poultry in Motion and were funded in part by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Government of British Columbia through programs delivered by the Investment in Agriculture Foundation BC.
• Activity: The curriculum-linked Broiler Chicken Trivia Kahoot Game teaches students more about the chicken farm story.
• Recipes: Students can practise their culinary skills while making tasty chicken recipes created by BCAITC’s Chef Trevor Randle such as Honey Mustard Chicken with Goat Cheese, Prosciutto Ham, and Balsamic Jus Served with BC Hazelnut and Basil Pesto, BC Chicken Tagine with Couscous, BC Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya, BC Inspired Baked Korean BBQ Chicken Wings, or Grilled BC Chicken and Chorizo with Ancho Chili and Lime Rice Bowl.
• Grow BC: Students can explore Grow BC, an interactive GIS map and story resource, to learn about BC chicken.This resource provides straightforward integration into class curriculum.

Pat Tonn, BCAITC’s Executive Director, said, “This provides students with knowledge of chicken from farm to fork.  Students can learn about how chicken is produced and how to cook with it - as well as healthy food choices, food safety, and about local products.”

Chef Trevor Randle said, “There are so many types of dishes that can be made with chicken. I’m looking forward to showing students how to use this tasty and nutritious ingredient in a variety of globally inspired recipes.”

The new Spotlight Series on Chickens compliments the existing Spotlight Series on Blueberries, Pork, Duck, Eggs, Cranberries, and Apples. Find the full series here.