A Busy Week 3 at Michigan State...

Although Kelsey and I have stayed very busy the last two weeks by working at Brody, a dining hall at Michigan State, the activity of this week was taken to a whole new level. It seemed like a typical internship week since we were gathering loads of information every day from new areas. Each day, we worked and/or toured a different place on campus. Below I have summarized some of the main and exciting topics of our week, along with pictures.

Monday-

We toured the Food Stores on campus. It is a place, as we soon learned, that most campuses do not have anymore. Instead of getting food solely from a distributor, like Sysco, Michigan State does their own purchasing. They estimate that 70% of the food comes directly from manufacturers and the other 30% from distributors. We walked through the large dry storeroom that resembled a bulk purchase store (Sam’s Club), and we also (more quickly) walked through the 32 degree fridge room and – 7 degree freezer. A main point that the workers really stressed was the timing of buying. For example, they don’t plan to buy ham right before Easter or it will be way too expensive. Also, they don’t bother buying the cheap products that are not as well-liked or will not be used as readily by the chefs. Even though it is cheaper, it is wasted money. Overall, I think it is amazing how well the system works, even with so many chefs in each of the dining halls having the freedom to use so many products that the food stores will get for them. The web and efficiency of communication is truly amazing. Interestingly enough, one of the purchasers that we talked to actually graduated with a dietetics degree and completed the dietetic internship. This just opened Kelsey’s and my eyes to another whole level of dietetics in food service!

 The area we first walked in was the dry storage. It looked just like a very organized bulk foods store.

 We did not spend very much time in the -7 degree freezer. We felt our nose hairs freeze!

 I liked looking at this rice that is ordered in from Thailand because of the giant nutrition facts.

Tuesday-

Our exciting schedule continued with a 12pm start time on Tuesday! It was nice to have the morning off, and we took advantage of it by trying out a local dive for breakfast that is usually packed on the weekends. It was well worth it! Our job from 12-8pm was to do a catering event at the Cowles House, the home of the President of the University. Although she does not reside there, it is treated like her home and she hosts many of the parties. During the afternoon, we toured the facilities, talked with the manager about a lot of hospitality/event management-type topics that were new to learn about. The event began at 4:30, we so did last minute garden and table set up before we got dressed to work. Kelsey and I got a kick out of it since neither of us had worn ties before! When the guests started to arrive, Kelsey bussed the bar and tables while I watched over the buffet and refilled all of the dishes. Around 6pm, the crowd left and all the workers were allowed to eat the delicious meal (consisting of caprese tortellini salad, shrimp cocktail, MSU dairy cheeses, veggie pot stickers, and espresso chocolate mousse to name a few)! That was also the time when Kelsey and I chatted with the house’s chef, and the soon-to-be house manager, Kirsten. We really got the feel that the house was part of the university but was completely separate at the same time. The few main employees are a close group that work well together, and Kelsey and I were both happy with all of the information we took from the day!

The breakfast that the 3 of us enjoyed at the Golden Harvest. If you are ever in Lansing, this is a definite experience for the taste buds!

 The first time Kelsey and I had worn ties...also the tree in the middle of the living room impressed us!

This is just a taste of the fancy foods and decor we were working with while catering at the Cowles House. 

Wednesday-

Our day at the bakery began at 5am. Kelsey and I split up for the day but shared a few jobs throughout. I worked with the bread baker and did a lot of bread loaves for sandwiches in the dining centers. We made sourdough, garlic, and artisan. I also helped with making the most brownie batter I have ever dealt with, rice krispie treats, and raspberry dark chocolate muffins. Kelsey worked on cheesecake, no bake cookies, carrot cake, banana cake, coconut cream pie, and lemon meringue pie. Overall, both of us deeply enjoy baking and had a fun day witnessing the amount of work that goes into providing the dining halls with a quality assortment of yumminess everyday. However, both of us agreed that baking with commercial equipment and in mass quantities is not quite as relaxing as baking at home! Our shift lasted until 1pm and we really felt that we learned a lot by comparing how differently things have to be run when cooking versus baking. Also, just seeing the giant equipment (bagel maker, loaf roller, walk-in ovens, huge fridges named after the Beatles, roll maker, and walk-in proofer) was worth the visit!

 I had to take a picture of this dishwasher, because it reminded me more of a small carwash! 

 Kelsey practiced her cake frosting skills and had a lot of fun (and patience) while doing it.

 At the end of our shift, Kelsey and I had to top all of the Orange Poke Cakes with orange candies. 

 Kelsey and I topped these cheesecakes together and spread different cherries and berries on top. It was fun seeing this dessert on the menu the next day!

Here are some of the loaves of bread I helped make for sandwiches the next day.

Thursday-

At the crack of dawn Kelsey and I arrived at the Student Organic Farm on the MSU campus. Right away, we both started harvesting for the 72 CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares and a farmer’s market for later in the morning. I picked the arugula and Swiss chard, while Kelsey helped with spinach and turnips. To continue the morning, I helped work some ground and planted the clean beds with Valencia tomatoes, Yaya carrots, and E-Z Pick beans. I felt so at home and comfortable! Kelsey worked in one of the hoop houses all morning trellising bell peppers. Then, she got the fun job of chopping vegetables in preparation for our community lunch with all of the workers. Of course, working in a garden all morning will likely make anything sound delicious, but our lunch really was amazing. Freshly picked greens, choy, and carrots dressed with homemade vinaigrettes, quinoa, hummus/pita, and hard boiled eggs was a meal nothing short of perfection to Kelsey and I! After lunch we toured around the farm to see the compost, aquaculture, vermiculture, endless beds of produce, chick house, mushroom farm, and multiple hoop houses. Overall, I was just so impressed with the organization, production, and passionate volunteers at the farm. This was my favorite day in the internship so far, and Kelsey and I both plan on attending another workday in the next few weeks!

 This is the giant compost tent that the farm uses. It was such an impressive operation!

 I had never seen mushrooms farmed before, and this thrilled me!

 This is Kelsey feeling proud after trellising these peppers for so long. 

 Kelsey and I both thought this lettuce was even more beautiful than roses!

 Here I am with some of the tomatoes I planted in one of the hoop houses.

The strawberries growing on the farm were so tempting to eat but such a pretty sight, as well. 

Friday-

We had a “normal” workday today but in a new place. We shadowed one of our schedule coordinators at his manager job in a dining hall. The hall was actually hosting a 4-H camp for a few days so it was a different service than being open to the MSU students/public. The menu had been chosen in advance so our job was to serve the food to around 800 people in a 2-hour block. Kelsey and I traded off working in the food line and blocking the door while directing the masses of kids to food lines to avoid congestion. It was interesting to see a dining center cater to a whole group’s needs. For example, it was surprising to see no nuts or nut products, since so many kids have nut allergies. The menu in general seemed different since almost every meal offered hamburgers and hot dogs to keep the young population happy.

On another note, we are now officially part of MSU with our functioning ID’s. Kelsey and I took advantage of this by checking out the library, bike rental, and the recreational facility on campus. We are so powerful with our cards! Also, we packed for our trip to Mackinac Island this weekend. Overall, we are tired from a busy week but so glad we had the opportunities to learn so much in a wide variety of areas! 

Thanks for teaching us so much MSU! 

~Macy