Name
Kyle A. Mitchell
Company/Organization
Mitchell’s Patch of Blue (Bangor) / Kalamazoo Valley Community College
What Does Your Company/Organization Do?
Mitchell’s Patch of Blue is a Third Generation Certified Organic Blueberry Farm in Bangor, MI. We provide blueberries that are served in hospitals, schools, restaurants & breweries all throughout Southwest Michigan. We also host educational farm tours for the Sustainable Horticulture program at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. At Kalamazoo Valley I teach Culinary Arts, Agrifoods, and Sustainable Horticulture. This includes Food Safety, Culinary Math, Agrifoods & Processing, and Horticulture Management. I also Advise the Food Club student organization.
Age
39
Accomplishments
Restaurant Manager with Red Lobster in the Grand Rapids, Chicago, Detroit, and Lansing Market (07-10) Culinary Instructor (ProStart) 2010-2012. I educated 48 students in restaurant management and culinary arts fundamentals.
Sanitarian I (Health Inspector): Oversaw food safety and sanitation in 180 restaurants and licensed/inspected about 30 festivals annually in the Lansing/East Lansing Market (12-19)
Adjunct Professor Culinary Arts: Jackson College. Classes instructed include: Cul 101 ServSafe Fundamentals, Cul 150 Foodservice Management, Cul 224 Food and Beverage Cost Control, Cul 228 Food Service Layout & Design, Cul 250 Principals of Beverage Service, Created the following Classes for JCC: HTM 320 Club & Special Event Management, HTM 325 Gaming and Convention Sales. (14-18)
Adjunct Professor Culinary Arts: Grand Rapids Community College. Classes instructed include: CA 102 – Exploration of the Food Service Industry (15-18)
Tenured Professor Agrifoods/Culinary Arts: Kalamazoo Valley. Current classes Instructed Include: Cul 100: Food Safety Essentials, Cul 105: Culinary & Food Industry Math, Agf 212: Agrifoods & Processing I also Advise the Culinary Club student organization. (16-present)
Mitchell’s Patch of Blue: I am a Sixth-Generation Michigan farmer, and a Third-generation blueberry farmer. In this role I oversee and carry out the day-to-day activities for Field Prep, IPM, Harvesting, Distribution, Marketing, Sales, & Nutrient Management for 25 acres of Organic Blueberries. (19-Present)
What else do you hope to accomplish by the age of 40?
Take a fun vacation in a pretty place. I only have about 7 months left.
Education
I have a Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality Management with a double minor in Business and Information Technology from Grand Valley State University (02-07)
What Town Do You Reside In?
Bangor, MI
Where were you born?
South Haven, MI
What was your first job?
I started picking blueberries for pay on the family farm when I was 5 years old.
Best advice you ever got?
“Take one step out of your comfort zone, and stay there until you are comfortable, then take another step and stay again, then another step… before you know it, you will be 4,5,or 10 steps from where you started.
Who inspires you most?
I started my career path in 11th grade when I enrolled in Patti Kenworthy’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Services program at the Van Buren Technology Center. She has been my mentor/advisor/friend/support team since that day. When I talk to people about Mz. “K”, I tell them that I have not made a major career decision without calling and getting her feedback first. She has inspired me to create my own path across the foodservice industry, and it has led me to this moment right now.
That one thing about you we’d be most surprised to learn.
I have a Vintage Japanese motorcycle collection: 1973 Suzuki GT185 1975 Kawasaki Z1 900 1976 Kawasaki Kz 650 1985 Honda 250R Three-Wheeler 1986 Yamaha FZX700 Fazer
What do you love to do in your downtime?
Ride Motorcycles, Go to the beach, Play Video Games
What book are you reading now?
1972 BEI Blueberry Harvester Manual
Volunteer activity you love the most.
ProStart is a program that I credit with providing a stable foundation to catapult my career. It is a two-year, industry-backed culinary arts and restaurant management program for high school students. I have been a ProStart Student under Mz. K, A Prostar Teacher, Competition Mentor, Competition Judge, and now at Kalamazoo Valley the college recently sponsored the Nutrition competition and I was able to hand out scholarships to the winning team. I really enjoy every opportunity I get to work with ProStart students and instructors across the state whether it be visiting the different program classrooms, judging ProStart competitions, volunteering at ProStart workshops, or hosting farm tours.
What motivates you to give back to your community?
I can remember sitting in class and how exciting it was to have a guest chef come and show us something new and fun. Some chefs would come back several times a year and remember everyone’s names. the excitement and buzz amongst us students sometimes would last for several days. Now I get to be the one that provides that excitement and laughter and buzz.
What Superpower would you most love to have? (for example, the ability to fly or to be invisible, or incredible strength, etc)
If I had a superpower of my choosing, I would make copies of myself so they can do all the tasks that take me away from my wife.
What would you like to leave behind as your legacy once you are gone?
I do my best to set the students up for success both when they are taking classes, and also once they leave the classroom by providing job opportunities, fresh produce from the farm, and an open door for mentorship after graduation. I would have to say that my legacy once I am gone will be the success that my students have, and the future generation of culinarians they themselves will eventually train. Maybe one of my jokes or sayings might make it through the years, such as my Grandfathers’ quote: “A short pencil is better than a long memory”
What does the honor of being named to the 40 Under 40 most mean to you?
To be included in this elite group of individuals feels fantastic. I truly enjoy the things that I do for a living and to be recognized for them just feels great!
