Photo of staff giving a cooking demonstration at Harvest Kitchen Cafe & Corner Store

HARVEST KITCHEN

We are a culinary job training program for youth ages 16–19 involved with the RI Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). Trainees work to create value-added products using ingredients sourced from local farms, and get hands-on retail experience selling their goods at farmers markets and working in our Local Foods Café in downtown Pawtucket.

LOCAL FOODS CAFÉ
CULTIVATING COMMUNITY
Visit us at the corner of Main Street and Bayley Street in downtown Pawtucket for great food from local farms and our full line of youth-made products. Our menu includes breakfast and lunch favorites plus build-your-own salads, bowls, wraps, and sandwiches — all featuring fresh, locally grown ingredients. LEARN MORE

VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS
TRANSFORMING THE LOCAL HARVEST
We work with local farmers to reduce food waste by utilizing B-grade, surplus, and gleaned produce in our products. We provide co-packing services to local growers, creating value-added items using a farm’s own recipe. And we offer private-label partnerships, producing our signature recipes for local farms to sell under their labels. LEARN MORE

CULINARY JOB TRAINING
TEACHING PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
Our 20-week culinary job training program offers small-group sessions for youth referred by DCYF. Our trainees participate in a 15-week curriculum that includes farm visits, kitchen safety, nutrition, and cooking essentials, followed by a 5-week paid internship. Through teamwork we build close relationships, and offer continuing support to all our participants. LEARN MORE

HEALTHY RETAIL
CREATING FRESH ALTERNATIVES
With support from the RI Department of Health we will prepare and distribute fresh, affordable prepared foods to participating corner stores in Pawtucket and Central Falls. Just like in our own Café + Corner Store, these meals will be sourced locally, youth made, delicious — and increase access to nutritious options in neighborhoods with low access to fresh food.
130+

Youth have participated in our culinary training program since
2010

50+

Local farmers + producers we source from for production and Café offerings

70%

Trainees who have graduated from the program since its inception

FARM FRESH RHODE ISLAND CHANNEL

Meet Harvest Kitchen

Take a look at our training program and local food processing kitchen in action — where youth transform the local harvest, and the local harvest transforms them.

 

Harvest Kitchen

2 Bayley St
Pawtucket, RI 02860
401-335-3766
harvestkitchen@farmfreshri.org

VOLUNTEER

Interested in hands-on culinary work and youth development? Shifts are available to help with various things — from working alongside our trainees on value-added products to assisting in our store. Background check is required. LEARN MORE →

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