FARM TO SCHOOL PROGRAM
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Farm-To-School-Asparagus Is Coming!
Asparagus season is fast approaching. Watch your school's May newsletter menu and memos to find out when it will be featured in the cafeteria. Norconck Farms of Empire will be supplying our local treat. Please join us for lunch! |
A new school program is being piloted at Central Grade School. It pairs farm-fresh produce with an educational presentation by the farmer who grew it. Then, it's served up for lunch to rave reviews from students.
"It's unusual to have Central Grade students take more than 70 apples a week during lunch," said Kristen Misiak, TCAPS Food Service Supervisor. "That's about half a case. Since this program started, we're going through three to four cases of apples every week."
The grant-funded program, coordinated by the Michigan Land Use Institute, brought tree local farmers and their produce to Central Grade in the fall. Each farmer brought some seeds, pictures of the crop growing in the field, and samples to show students. The presentations were made over a recess period in the school's garden club area. "The students were asking questions and were very interested," Misiak said. "It worked out great."
The first presentation was so well received, Misiak said, that attendance at the other two fell right into place. "The students realized that this food is grown close to their homes. It's not from the some place far away. That makes a difference."
"Another key is that the produce quality is top-notch," Misiak said, "It's very fresh. It tastes better than the items we get from our usual food distributors.
When Elk Rapids grower Mark Doherty brought his Russel Ridge Farms Royal Gala apples, they were a big hit. "You wouldn't believe how good they are," Misiak said. "It's remarkable how great they taste."
As a result, the school were continue to buy apples from local growers as long as they are available fresh.
The program is likely to continue next fall, when fresh produce is just being harvested and the temperatures are still relatively warm so the presentations can continue outdoors. "First up will probably be local hydropontic produce," Misiak said.
While other districts have served local produce in their lunch program, the efforts typically haven't coupled the food with an educational component.
"For us, it's the quality and nutrition," Misiak said. "It's having students involved and choosing more fresh fruits and vegetables on their tray."
"And," Misiak said, "there's good news in it for local growers, too. The best part is being able to have high-quality produce at competitive prices, grown right here in our local area."
Ways the school is trying to interest kids in healthy foods is by giving field trips to farms, fun "taste tests," school gardens, and fundraisers selling local farm products.
TCAPS food service is working in many ways to help make the food in our school tasty. Look for local farm foods on the menu this year as TCAPS food service works with the Michigan Land Use Institute to connect with local farms to buy the freshest of food for our cafeteria.
