(picture taken by Brent Harrewyn at Hoverfly Photography)
On August 3rd, The Vermont Fresh Network Annual Forum was the place to be for a food lover. Chefs and farmers lined the inside of the Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms offering up delicacies for over 500 people in attendance. Wake Robin was there with one of our farm partners, Bella Farms, serving up a delicious gazpacho made with fresh produce harvested from their fields in Monkton, Vermont. This Annual Forum is a chance for chefs and farmers to celebrate all the bounty that Vermont has to offer.
Bella Farms is a huge contributor to Wake Robin – not only do they supply produce to the Wake Robin kitchens, but they also set up a CSA on Fridays as a part of our CORE program – Wake Robin’s Employee Initiative.
Wake Robin is pleased to welcome Premier Therapy Services to the community! The new therapy staff bring an exciting new set of skills and expertise to the campus. They are already offering services such as Physical, Occupational and Speech therapy along with expanded exercise groups and new programs focusing on maintaining health and well-being. Great things are already happening in the community!
Yesterday, Wake Robin hosted an open house to give the community an opportunity to meet our new President & CEO, Patrick McKee. Patrick shared some impressions from his first few weeks during a recent Cup of Conversation: “All of my initial interactions have taken place within a starting point of mutual respect both with residents and staff. The history here of active involvement within a dynamic community is evident and continuing. There is work being done that makes the community a national leader. The commitment to healthy and local food is just one example. The professionalism and commitment of the staff is immediately evident. The great level of caring shown in health services is clear as is the high level of skill. It is difficult to single out a department because this seems to be the standard throughout Wake Robin.”
Go Team Wake Robin!
Last Sunday, we observed a swarm of bees – probably 10,000 or more – beside the path leading to our apiary. We don’t yet know from which hive it came. The swarmed bees were sending out scouts to look for a permanent home. They were all gone later that day, so apparently they found a hollowed out tree somewhere nearby. The scouts came back to report possible home sites and, by consensus, the colony decided which one was right – just like in a Vermont town meeting (or by a Wake Robin resident survey).
Even though the temperature was a chilly 57 degrees, it was a flaming hot day at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington on Wednesday, October 24. Chefs from Fletcher Allen, Central Vermont Medical Center and Wake Robin, competed in the first annual “Seafood Throwdown” sponsored by the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance. The chefs came prepared to clean and prepare a mystery fish, and serve it to the judges, who would then declare the winner. There was fierce competition but in the end Wake Robin chefs Pasquale Amedore and John Gallaher presented a gorgeous plate to the judges. Poached Cod with spinach, tarragon, grape tomatoes and roasted potatoes.
se awareness about a new venture called Healthy Food in Health Care. HFHC is part of a larger initiative that is being adopted by health care organizations worldwide, called Health Care Without Harm. The focus of HCWH is on providing environmentally sustainable health care, including healthier, local foods, best practices for safe cleaning, and medical waste disposal, and using cleaner technologies. 