My first day included paperwork and going over upcoming projects with Ms. Flowers. Not surprisingly, I went the complete wrong way when trying to get to Cate. It might take me a few days to get acquainted with the campus! I then began to work on my Business Plan.
Tuesday I continued to work on my Business Plan, which will involve running a Food Allergy Awareness booth at Cate in February. I began planning the educational content and the recipes that I will use. I am looking at a chocolate avocado mousse and sweet and sour cauliflower - all top 8 allergen free! I then met with Lauren in TOD, and she talked with me about new employee processes. She was very helpful and sent me policy guidelines and an organizational chart.
On Wednesday I headed over to Couch to meet with Sam. He answered many of my management questions, and I got to shadow him as he made rounds in the dining hall. I also met a lot of the employees and enjoyed getting to know them and their backgrounds. Paula, at the Vegetation Station, let me help her prepare food for her station. That day she was making spoon bread, vegetarian meatloaf, collard greens, rice, roasted sweet potatoes, and grits. I even tried plantains for the first time at the Fitter line during lunch. I liked them so much that I made some at home!
On Thursday at Couch I got to help Gary make lunch for the Fitter line. This is a line that features healthier options. We made roasted zucchini, beef stew, cornbread, and kale. I assisted Paula in chopping up vegetables for her ratatouille and cutting up artisan bread. It was a French theme for her line that day. I met more employees from different operations on campus during a management meeting as well.
On Friday I was in the Couch storeroom with Ronnie and Mike learning how purchasing, receiving, inventory, and storage works. We started off by stocking the items that were delivered that morning. Afterwards we used an invoice receiving method to check the orders we received. Next came counts. Each week the staff goes through and takes counts of the most popular items used at Couch, and once a month the whole inventory is counted. Counting takes awhile, and it helps to be familiar with where all the items are located. Thankfully, next to each item on the list there is a shelf number listed to tell you where to find that item. I got a tour of each storage room (dry storage, walk-in refrigerators, and walk-in freezer) and saw how each one was organized. That afternoon I talked with Marcia, and she showed me some of the reports they run to track sales and items. It was a great week, and I am looking forward to learning more!
