Learn about our first school food professional workshop and November recipe fun.
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Watermelon Wednesday
December 2025 Issue #15
It's Giving Tuesday December!
At BWP, the generosity shown on Giving Tuesday continues through the month of December! We have set an ambitious goal to add 25 new monthly donors by the end of 2025 to nurture our work in 2026.
Blue Watermelon Project was awarded a Farm to School State Agency Formula Grant from the Arizona Department of Education, Health and Nutrition Services Division (ADE) to develop a series of workshops designed to support school food professionals.
Our first workshop was a hit! We focused on menu planning to prepare for National Native American Heritage Month, highlighted traditional ingredients, tried new menu items and learned about local purchasing options in our school communities.
A big thank you to Chef Charleen Badman, Chef Shannon Reina and Erik Stanford of Pivot Produce for sharing their expertise and empowering attendees to learn how to source and serve local in their schools. The second workshop happens on 12/9 and we can't wait!
November Lesson
Students participating in our November Chef in the Garden lesson enjoyed Chef Cat's Pan Woon Sen recipe, a flavorful Thai stir-fry using glass noodles and a variety of vegetables including snow peas! This quick, tasty recipe taught students about stir frying and the delicious flavors of snow peas. Click the button below to watch the video of Chef Cat walking us through her recipe, and see below for more information about November's featured chef and farm!
Chef Cat was born in Bangkok, Thailand and moved to the US when she was 25. In 2007 she opened Glai Baan, a Thai street food restaurant here in Phoenix!
Since opening in 2007, Chef Cat has never missed a day of cooking at her restaurant.
When you visit Glai Baan, you will see a menu inspired by the traditional Thailand street food and snacks she liked to eat while growing up.
Bio from Chef Cat, James Beard Taste America Phoenix, and Cloth and Flame’s Cat Bunnag and Branden Levine - Glai Baan and Sel.
Emily Heller is the founder and farmer of Bene Vivendo Farms, which means “The Good Life.”
Emily created Bene Vivendo in 2018 after studying agriculture at UofA extension programs and introducing her produce to farmers market shoppers. Farming is Emily’s third professional career after decades as a journalist and media spokesperson.
She loves growing food and flowers that are exceptionally delicious, beautiful and unusual. You can find her at her booth at Uptown Farmers Market on Saturdays!
Bio and photo adapted from Bene Vivendo: My Story.
Quote Corner
Check out what our students had to say about Chef Cat's recipe!
"I really enjoyed when we cooked the stir fry and when we got it served to us. I also like when you guys 'let us get our hands dirty' when we planted the snow peas and it was SO FUN!"
- 4th grader, Rover Elementary
"I can't believe how many vegetables I'm eating right now. They're delicious."
-6th grader, Larry C. Kennedy
"I love the food. It was so delicious. I love it so much. I’m gonna cook at home."
-2nd grader, Cordova Elementary
Volunteering with Blue Watermelon Project
Join us at a chef demo, help pack food kits, get your hands dirty working in a school garden, or support an upcoming special event! There are a variety of ways to get involved and be a part of our impact story.
Start Your Volunteer Journey!
Ready to join us? New volunteers can click the button below to sign up for a Volgistics account to see all of the upcoming shifts on our calendar.
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