NATURE’S TEACHING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

TEACHING FARM-TO-TABLE CONCEPTS AND MORE AT ANKURAM

Last year, we formed a partnership with Karma Lakelands to create an experiential farm on their property. Here, students learn to grow seasonal ingredients and study beekeeping, sustainable sourcing, and other environmentally conscious practices. “We have already started cultivating new crops such as tomatoes, lettuce, and cabbage,” says Chef Babu Nagarajan, our Director of Culinary Studies. “Teaching every aspect of farming helps us develop a holistic approach to culinary education—from preparing the soil and sowing the seeds to nurturing and harvesting the crops, and finally using them in the best possible ways.”

Such practices enable students to understand where ingredients come from. They learn to treat and respect their produce, becoming better chefs in the future. This month, we also began vermicomposting waste from our kitchens. In the process, we use worms bred in Africa, known as “night crawlers”, which are highly effective at decomposing waste and enriching poor soil.

“But organic farming in this climate and on this land is not easy,” adds the chef. “The process requires careful attention and a keen understanding of plants and the soil in which they grow. Towards the end of March, there were also unusual bursts of rain—a phenomenon uncommon in North India. While farmers across the country struggled to cope with the downpour, we found ways to protect and nourish our produce. Each crop was planted on inclined land to prevent waterlogging and ensure that excess water flows into a rainwater harvesting reservoir, where it is collected for other uses.”

ABOUT INDIAN SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY (ISH)

Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) is South Asia's finest educational institute for hospitality management and culinary arts. Its the only École Ducasse campus in the country and part of the Sommet Education global network of schools. At it's ultra-modern campus in Gurgaon, it offers degree, diploma and certificate programmes in hospitality management and culinary arts at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

The culinary programmes are offered with the expertise and know-how of École Ducasse — the institute founded by multi-Michelin starred Chef Alain Ducasse. The hospitality management programmes are offered in alliance with Les Roches, one of the world’s leading hospitality business schools. All three institutes, Indian School of Hospitality, École Ducasse and Les Roches are members of Sommet Education, a major international group for hospitality and culinary arts.

www.ish.edu.in

Authored by: Indian School of Hospitality