Rachel McBride and Taylor Kortel
Students from the School of Family, Consumer and Nutrition Sciences came together April 2 with NIU alum Chris Dalmares (’91), owner of Dalmares Produce Inc., to present the second annual Exotic Fruit Demo.
Dalmares worked with current students to create a decadent spread of more than 55 different fruits, including some familiar fruits such as the Acai Berry and ranging to unfamiliar fruits such as the Central American Mamey or the African Horned Cucumber.
Undergraduate students from FCNS, the Student Food Committee and the Student Dietetic Association, including Taylor Kortel, who arranged the facts, educated students on the health benefits of these interesting fruits. They also provided simple recipes on how to incorporate the fruits into daily life.
Approximately 1,000 students had the option to sample the fruits.
For some students, such as graduate student Rachel McBride, this year’s demo was not just a chance to teach her fellow students about the nutritious produce options available to them but also a chance to continue building relationships. Dalmares provided such an opportunity through showing students what their degrees can do after college.
Dalmares and coworker Lefty “put on a great show for all of us,” McBride said. “We are really thankful for their involvement at NIU.”
