Derek Meyer and Frankie Stetson, fifth-graders at Ishpeming Middle School, work on their dish, kale and chickpea pasta, on Wednesday during a cook-off featuring healthy foods. Competitions took place in the morning and afternoon. (Journal photo by Christie Mastric)

ISHPEMING — Delicious smells wafted from the Commons area at Ishpeming Middle/High School on Wednesday — smells that went beyond typical “school cafeteria” foods such as tater tots and Salisbury steak.

How about veggie pasta with Alfredo feta sauce?

Ishpeming Middle School fifth-graders carried out a successful community farmstand in October, selling student-grown produce and earning money, said May Tsupros, director of programs and partnerships with Partridge Creek Farm, co-founder and executive board member of Gardeneers, and founding collaborator with Sun Tree Collaboration.

The students voted to spend their proceeds to buy several cooking kits, and with the support of the Marquette Food Co-op, which donated the food, took part in a healthy cooking pilot program, she said in an email.

“The kids are learning lots each week and getting better at handling their stoves and chopping their veggies,” Tsupros said. “And most importantly, trying new, healthy, produce-filled snacks.”

The goal, she said, is for 100% of the students to be able to prepare a healthy meal for their families.

“They are learning knife skills, how to measure and use a burner, and even how to ‘spice up their food,'” Tsupros said. “It’s been really fun and the students are loving veggies.”

The class culminated in a cook-off on Wednesday.

Partridge Creek Farm Director Dan Perkins was impressed with what he saw on Wednesday at the Farm to School event.

“These kids are doing high cuisine,” Perkins said. “They’re cooking beautiful meals — pasta meals with garlic and kale. Every one of these kids has got a different dish that they’ve chosen.”

Perkins was a judge along with Ishpeming Middle School teacher Kaitlin Rich and Calvin Attwell, food service director for Ishpeming Public Schools.

The winning groups’ recipes will be prepared in the cafeteria for the whole school.

Perkins was so impressed with their culinary efforts that he asked the kids, “Do you guys eat like this at home? Do you make dinners like this at home? You should cook for your parents. This is really good food.”

The food, he said, was all organic and as locally produced as possible.

That could have good health benefits for the students’ parents and siblings as well.

“These kids are ready to cook for their families,” Perkins said. “This is really a big deal. A lot of these kids didn’t even eat vegetables before this.”

Emily Bateman, a Northern Michigan University graduate who is involved in the Farm to School program, took part in Wednesday’s activities.

Bateman said that for the last six weeks, she had been giving the students lessons on cooking skills such as preparing vegetables and noodles. For the competition, the youngsters picked their own recipes.

“They’re just kind of on their own without guidance from me, creating those recipes that they picked out,” Bateman said.

The cooking instruction seems to have been taken root, literally and figuratively speaking.

“A lot of them have already told me that they’re cooking more in their homes, helping their parents cook dinner, or just cooking on their own,” Bateman said. “When I started this, I asked, ‘How many of you can cook your own grilled cheese or mac and cheese or anything?’ And a lot of them just said, ‘Oh, I make cereal or I make ramen noodles,’ which is fairly easy.”

Bateman believes they now have the skills to make healthier meals, especially with veggies.

“They can spice up a mac and cheese and make it a little healthier, not just boxed mac and cheese,” she said.

The winners in the morning competition were William Brodin, Marcus Guerra and Kody Morcom. Second-place finishers were Trenton Healey, Brayden Longstaff, Will Heinzelman and Logan Goyen.

The afternoon winners were Stella Nerfli, Aili Nelson and Xavier Kestila. Runners-up were Emma Maki and Jaron Lawry.

Fifth-grader Frankie Stetson, along with student Derek Meyer, made kale and chickpea pasta with several tasty ingredients in the afternoon competition.

“If you cook them, it tastes real good,” Stetson said.

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.