Our hope for the future is the children, and at The Chef’s Garden™, Inc. and Culinary Vegetable Institute, we understand that significance. That’s why we created Veggie U, our 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is committed to teaching children a lifestyle that involves good nutrition and eating habits.

It is common knowledge that our fast-paced way of life has left us compromised between nutrition and convenience. Mass-produced vegetables yield large crops with little flavor left to enjoy and health problems in this nation are rising in epidemic proportions!

We want kids to know that they have a choice about what they put in their bodies and the consequences of those decisions. To achieve this goal, we have teamed up with school teachers, parents, nutritionists and doctors to kick off our Children’s Education program, with fourth-graders across the nation as our target!

Through Veggie U, we provide the educational opportunities children need to make healthy selections through hands-on activities, kids’ classes on the farm and educational kits sent to the schools that include such things as seed and soil packets. Kids learn that vegetables can taste great – that they can be packed with flavor and nutrition if grown properly and with care as they are at The Chef’s Garden™, Inc. This year, more than 1,000 youngsters visited us to learn about good nutrition!

You can help with this worthwhile cause! Some of the top chefs and food professionals from across the country have come to the farm and the institute to teach children how to prepare healthy foods and have fun in the kitchen! Those same chefs and food professionals have hosted culinary classes, food professional training segments and created cuisine for Veggie U fund-raising dinners. All of these events not only raise money for our children’s organization, but at the same time afford culinary students and others the opportunity to work alongside some of our nation’s culinary elite!

We also offer culinary membership opportunities to culinary students, food professionals, restaurants, small businesses, culinary schools, corporations and food enthusiasts that offer all kinds of benefits!

We dreamed that we could change the way our nation approaches eating forever, but we need you to help us with that dream! For more information about Veggie U, contact The Culinary Vegetable Institute at 419-499-7500 or click on our Veggie U link right on this Web site!

Check out our Veggie U Fun Facts