Tec Voc hosts Farm and Fair Longest Table meal

Article by Alesha Oleschak, Tec Voc Photography

Photos by Danny Truong and Tyler Payjack, Tec Voc Photography

Tec Voc High School’s Fair Trade and Sustainability Committee hosted a special Farm and Fair Longest Table event on Nov. 25. 

The luncheon event featured a table that spanned across the entire second floor of the school and sat over 400 people. The idea behind the event was “bringing it back to the table.” 

"We definitely brought it back to the table and came together as a community, united as one,” said Joicef Maderal, a member of the Tec Voc's Fair Trade and Sustainability Committee. 

The main focus was to showcase Tec Voc’s connections to local and Fair Trade farmers and to bring people in the community together over a family-style dining event.

The entire meal was a huge success. Tec Voc's very own Pastry Arts and Culinary Arts department prepared all aspects of the menu. 

“We wanted everything to be local and Fair Trade and we wanted everything to go smoothly. And we killed it!” said Lou Ferguson, a Culinary Arts student who prepared and served the lunch.

Each table featured beautiful floral arrangements and charcuterie boards. The charcuterie boards, which were made by Tec Voc’s Carpentry Arts department, offered local Manitoba cheese, pickled Manitoba vegetables, Fair Trade nuts and dried fruit, fresh local bread and crackers, along with other local and Fair Trade products. 

The main course included a choice of one of two fresh soups: garden minestrone or cream of potato cheddar, and a Manitoba pulled pork sandwich. To complete the luncheon, a Fair Trade chocolate mousse cup with whipped cream and a dark chocolate nut bark was served. Also included with the lunch was a variety of local and Fair Trade beverages, including lemon iced tea, coffee and tea.

While diners enjoyed their meal, they were able to listen to music played by Tec-Voc DJ Dayton Vandale-Harvie, or just socialize with the people at the table.

All of the proceeds that were raised from the event were donated to Tec Voc’s Graduating Class of 2023 and its graduation fund. 

Joicef stressed that it took a large group of volunteers and a lot of teamwork to create one amazing event. She said the event would not have been possible without Tec Voc’s Fair Trade and Sustainability Committee, teachers Kathleen Mira and Livia Gloux, the amazing sponsors who donated food and prizes for the event, and all the wonderful student and teacher volunteers.