While this was the first year that the Harvest Festival was held virtually, we are proud to say that it was a huge success! We are grateful for all of the students, faculty, and community members that contributed to this light-hearted, fun and educational celebration of sustainability! We particularly thank the HM 485 Meeting and Event Management students who worked hard to make the Virtual Harvest Festival possible.
Senior Jade Menow is the Executive Director of Student Farm Club and an intern on the Student Farm, and she was happy to see how all of the work put into the Harvest Festival turned into an exciting celebration.
“The Hospitality Management students who organized the event did such an amazing job,” she said. “[They] really did the best they could have done in a virtual event space. We are so grateful that we got to host this event, even in a pandemic.”
The festivities began with an interactive scavenger hunt that taught students and families how to repurpose old items instead of disposing of them, such as containers that could be used as planters.
Senior Lex Trevelino enjoyed the atmosphere that the Harvest Festival’s first activity created. Lex is the Field Production Director on the executive team of Student Farm Club.
“I thought the energy was very upbeat and positive,” he said. “The scavenger hunt at the beginning was a fun tone-setter to get everyone involved and in the right mindset for the event.”
Another highlight of the festival was the student panel that allowed participants to hear from students currently working on the farm. The panelists shared some of their most memorable farm experiences, and they enjoyed personally connecting with community members.
After learning a bit about the farm, it was time for participants to test their knowledge! The festival turned into a game night, and energy was high as people showed and expanded their knowledge of farm history through trivia. The three lucky winners of the trivia received a Student Farm tote bag.
The most delicious event of the night was definitely the cooking demonstration hosted by Penn State Executive Chef Mark Kowalski. To begin, Chef Kowalski demonstrated how to make a fresh chicken salad, and he used kale and spinach from the farm! Next, he showed participants how to make a mouth-watering pasta in a roasted butternut squash cream sauce.
All of these fun, interactive activities came together to create a spectacular Virtual Harvest Festival that left participants with sustainability tips, knowledge about the Student Farm, new recipes, and a wide grin. We loved connecting with our farm family once again, and we wish you the best in this autumn season!
Those who weren’t able to make it to the Harvest Festival can still take a virtual tour of the Student Farm here!
