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Virginia C apitol C onnections, Fall 2015
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Pulaski County’s School Nutrition Program received support this
year through the USDA’s Farm to School Program, which has enabled
the school system to begin taking the steps needed to make providing
fresh, local foods in the school cafeterias a reality. The program has
concentrated its efforts on building collaborations with community
organizations and local farmers to benefit both student health and
the local economy. The long term goal of this program is to “connect
schools with local farms in order to serve healthier food options,
support community health and nutrition, and provide agriculture and
nutrition education opportunities.”
A diverse and dedicated group of individuals has come together
to form the “Pulaski County Farm to School Team” and has worked
to make this goal attainable. Members of the team include school
administrators, school nutrition staff, teachers, farmers, community
organization representatives, parents, and others who recognize the
importance of local foods in both ensuring that students’ nutrition
needs are being met and that the local farmers have a reliable market
for their produce. The team has worked to plan and execute a variety
of Farm to School activities such as local food taste tests, classroom
agriculture and nutrition lessons, a community Farm to School night
at the local farmers market, a family food show and summer camp
activities. The team continues to expand the program and is planning to
implement educational farm visits so that students can gain first hand
experiences of where their food comes from. They also are working to
set up a series of trainings with the school nutrition workers so that they
will be better equipped to use fresh produce as part of the daily school
lunch menus.
One of the most important parts of the program activities is student
taste tests. Taste tests take advantage of available local produce and
allow students to try new recipes and then vote on their favorites. The
benefits from these taste tests are plentiful: school nutrition staff get
to experiment with new recipes, farmers get to put their crops to good
use, children gain ownership over what is served to them for lunch and
they get to do it in a fun way! In one taste test, students were able to try
overwintered carrots that were grown just a few miles away from their
school. The carrots were served raw, as carrot “fries” and in a carrot
apple salad. After sampling all three of these different preparations,
students voted on which one they would like to see on their school
lunch menu. The carrot apple salad was the winner and was featured as
part of the lunch menu the next month!
The Pulaski County Farm to School Program is a continuing effort that
will expand and change in response to the needs of the community.
While the focus of the program is currently on fruits and vegetables,
there is hope to one day incorporate even more products - like local
meats and dairy. Student health is a top priority and this program will
continue to support that by making sure Pulaski County students have
access to fresh, local, and delicious school meal items!
Pulaski County Farm to School
Collaborating for a Healthier Community By Shelly Rasnick
V
1001 East Broad Street
Suite 215
Richmond, VA 23219
804.643.5554
David L. Bailey
804.643.5554
Cell 804.405.8108