Christine Williams

administrator/grower/farmer

Pepper Berries Teaching Emporium & Pepper Berries Farm

17400 East Courtney Atherton Road
Independence, MO 64058

(w) (816) 230-0007

About

They have been teaching youth for over 30 years from the farm, how to grow, then how to cook from the garden or turn it into an added value product. In 2024 they became a nonprofit organization to be able to reach and teach more regardless of if they can pay. They have been going into the schools in the inner city of Kansas City since 2009 but in 2020 the programs were no longer being funded for this. However, they continued teaching gardening and cooking regardless of being paid. They continued because they believed that the next generation needs this information!!! "Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime." Old Chinese Proverb
They worked with the refugee school here in Kansas City in 2022 & 23. In 2022 they went in and taught an 8-week class on introduction to American healthy food and what can be grown in Missouri. The 8th graders learned about our different season and that we can grow crops like kale, Swiss Chard, Nappa cabbage and more in the fall, winter and spring. That week they made a sauerkraut ferment that they were able to take a quart home with them. Another week they made mozzarella using milk from a local dairy farmer. They were amazed how the science worked in the process. They took home some cheese that day. The next week we learned about other local produce such as tomatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms. All these things went into making an induvial pizza for each one to take home and topped it off with some mozzarella from the previous class.
In 2023 the 6th & 7th grade classes came out and worked in the high tunnel. They help plant seeds and transplants, learned about healthy soils as well as how a high tunnel extends the season. They were amazed at how the mornings started out so cold and all of them wearing a coat then by 10:00/10:30 they were hot. We had 128 kids work with us that year from the refugee academy. We have been going into a lot of schools in the inner city and doing chef demos to show them how easy it is to cook from the garden as well as letting them try different produce and new recipes. In 2023, they taught at Hope Academy, K-5th graders, it was in the fall right after the first frost. Each grade watched a demonstration on making Verde salsa using tomatoes, peppers, onions and cilantro from the late fall garden. Over 500 kids came through that day and saw how easy the recipe was to make, tasted the salsa and was sent home with a bag of green tomatoes and the recipe.
They also have a lot of Homeschool groups come to classes. One of the ongoing classes is Eating Around the World in 8 weeks. In this class they students learn about a different country every week, what foods are from that county and the spices. they see how it was brought to American and incorporated into our American diet. Then they taste spices, learn which ones we can grow as well as what produce we can grow here in Missouri. They then each get to create the recipe and adjust the seasoning according to their taste. Each student takes home their entree and recipe and a lot of knowledge about the food and how to grow it here.