The Flying Carrot

The Flying Carrot is an innovative mobile project that fosters food awareness and empowers individuals to improve the well-being of themselves, the community, and the planet by providing creative hands-on experiences, building cooking skills, and improving access to local, seasonal, and sustainable food.

The Flying Carrot curriculum is simple: “Take a locally grown vegetable or two, chop it up, then toss to create a Flying Carrot recipe. Once out of the skillet, taste it, then make it. Led by University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) Sport Nutrition graduate students, the Flying Carrot inspires everyone, promoting literacy around healthy and locally grown food, through taste education and cooking instructions with stories from seed to plate that change the dinner table one carrot at a time.

The Flying Carrot at UCCS

The Flying Carrot is part of the Sustainability, Wellness & Learning (SWELL) educational initiative across campus with delicious tasters, Farmhouse projects, the Farm Stand during harvest season, and UCCS’s Health and Wellness strategies, bringing local food to the conversation.

flying carrot staff

The Flying Carrot and Local Farmers

The Flying Carrots builds the link between local farmers and eaters, teaching what’s currently in season, how it’s cooked, and where it can be purchased. Market goers come with pleasure to The Flying Carrot stand to taste student developed creations, being inspired to give it a try at home. Local food is experiential from seed to plate and brings back the simple yet rich value of a nourishing meal connected to the land through its farmers.