Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
P. O. Box 3711
204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
276-638-8801
Toll Free: 800-234-6575
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| Farm to School program begins |
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Monday, September 1, 2008
By KIM BARTO - Bulletin Staff Writer
Local school divisions say they want to serve more Virginia-grown produce in their cafeterias through a new state program, but first they need to connect with local farmers who have crops to sell.
The Farm to School program, a national program administered here by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), is meant to give students access to fresh, nutritious food choices and support local agriculture.
VDACS launched a Web site this summer as a “connecting point” where interested schools and farmers can share information and set up purchasing agreements, said Beth Beville, program administrator for food distribution. School divisions list their sizes and food needs, and farmers list their available produce throughout the year, along with acreage and contact information. The program is open to universities and private schools as well.
“We hope they’ll make those connections and improve school lunches by having more fresh produce in them,” Beville said.
Seven or eight school divisions across the state have signed up so far, Beville said, and the department hopes to spread the word as the new school year begins.
“It’s a wonderful program. There’s no doubt in my mind it will grow,” she said.
In Henry County and Martinsville, school officials want to get on board.
“We use fresh produce anyway, and locally grown is even better,” said Marci Lexa, Henry County schools nutrition services director. “I’d like to sign up and see if there are any (farm) matches in the area.”
Henry County serves about 5,800 lunches a day during the school year and offers at least four selections of fruits and vegetables with each meal, Lexa said.
“A main concern with our nutrition programs is the childhood obesity issue,” she said, and participating in the Farm to School program would make it easier to offer nutritious choices.
Henry County also is interested in the program, Lexa added, because Carver Elementary was one of 25 schools in Virginia to receive a U.S. Department of Agriculture fresh fruits and vegetable grant for the coming school year.
The school will receive $14 per child for the school year, which will provide fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables as snacks several times a week. Students will learn about nutrition and have a chance to taste new foods.
“It’s to encourage students to think of those as snack foods and to introduce them to fresh fruits and vegetables they may not otherwise try,” Lexa said. “We’re really excited about that.”
Martinsville city school officials also want to know what local farmers have to offer, said Sheilah Williams, nutrition services director.
“We haven’t had any local farmers approach us about purchasing local produce, but I wish they would,” Williams said.
“We offer fresh fruits and vegetables every day on our serving line, so what better way to encourage (students) to make those choices than with options grown right here in Martinsville and Henry County?” she added.
Buying direct from farmers could be more cost-effective, as well, “because it takes out the middleman,” Williams said. “Rather than having to travel to Florida or South Carolina, if we could just get produce right here, that would definitely influence the cost.”
City schools provide 2,000 lunches per day with at least a cup and a half of produce, including a minimum of two vegetables and fresh fruit, Williams said. Federal regulations require three-fourths cup to be offered.
“We’re trying to increase their knowledge and their taste for the vegetables and fruits,” Williams said. “Increasing our fruit and vegetable intake goes hand-in-hand with our wellness program.”
Several states have Farm to School programs already in place, including North Carolina. In 2007, 77 North Carolina school districts participated in the program, according to the N.C. Farm to School Program Web site.
One is the Rockingham County school district, which has been participating for several years, according to school nutrition director Bernadette Austin.
“It’s great because it gives kids exposure to a lot of different things,” Austin said.
The 25 Rockingham County schools offer two fruits and vegetables every day, along with fresh salads, baked potatoes and additional fresh fruit offerings, Austin said. In season, they have “lots of strawberries,” blueberries, melons and apples, as well as sweet and white potatoes and salad greens.
“A lot of times the cafeteria managers will do a little tasting demonstration and put out a tray of samples if something new is introduced so kids can try it,” Austin said.
Schools also host nutrition fairs to teach students about the benefits of fruits and vegetables.
Since they implemented the Farm to School program, Austin said, student nutrition has “definitely improved.”
Her advice for other school districts: “Take advantage of it.”
Interested school divisions and farmers can register for Virginia’s Farm to School program at the VDACS Web site, www.vdacs.virginia.gov, or e-mail farmtoschool@vdacs.virginia.gov. |
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