As the mother of a toddler who barely eats beyond cheese crackers and cereal bars, I would not last a week as a school food services manager. For all the work it takes to find affordable and healthy foodsa job that will get harder as budgets are squeezed and new regulations from the School Nutrition Act go into effectgetting kids to enjoy eating them is even tougher.
Last summer, I was excited to come across one of the most interesting, successful and comprehensive programs to not only address healthy eating but also teach students where their food comes from. For the past few years I’ve volunteered as a judge for the Association of School Business Officials annual Pinnacle Awards, which honor innovative and effective programs created by their members. Last year, one of the awards went to Barbara Nissel, the food service coordinator for the Great Valley School District in Pennsylvania.
After finding that a “buy fresh, buy local” initiative was impossible for her school district to implement on a large scale, Barbara decided to try an even more “homegrown” project: a community garden that would benefit the 4,500-student suburban school district. Students and community members tend to the plants, local farmers and businesses donate supplies and expertise, and the food service staff harvests, freezes, and prepares the vegetables for use in the school cafeterias. Last year, the district’s food services department saved more than $3,400 by using their own produce, but more importantly, gave students exposure to more types of vegetables and are learning how to grow and produce healthy foods.
Nicole Melia, the district’s nutrition coordinator, says that “The garden has raised our total awareness of fresh fruits and vegetables improved our presentation techniques, and we are seeing greater consumption of fruits and vegetables all over. The students are especially excited the days where they see signage that states the vegetables are from our garden.”
