Read a great article in the USA today this morning about the how Orange Mass is partnering with local farmers to server fresh fruits and vegetables to their children. They are emphasizing the 5 day bar with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables.
They are saving money over processed foods because they are working with local farmers. I know that the Leaf Community has done a great deal with these partnerships and I wondered if the School has had any thoughts about doing this.
I don't have children in the schools anymore, but I really do think that with our knowledge of nutrition now, having our children eat less additives and preservatives goes a long way towards eliminating potential problems later on.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/ ... titialskip
Does anyone know if the schools are willing to give this a try?
Schools lunches and local farmers partner?
Moderator: Jim O'Bryan
-
Lynn Farris
- Posts: 559
- Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2005 8:24 pm
- Location: Lakewood, Ohio
- Contact:
Schools lunches and local farmers partner?
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." ~ George Carlin
-
Stephen Eisel
- Posts: 3281
- Joined: Fri Jan 26, 2007 9:36 pm
-
Justine Cooper
- Posts: 775
- Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:12 am
- Location: Lakewood
How wonderful would that be. You would be surprised to see how many kids do not eat their lunches and throw them out in the elementary school, because they are processed and just plain gross. Imagine how progressive to have healthy and natural foods in their lunches.
"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive" Dalai Lama
-
Ruthie Koenigsmark
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 8:43 pm
- Location: Lakewood
Lynn, I was just thinking of this very subject-and was going to post--so glad you did
-our family just finished "Supersize Me" again---I have a son in Middle School and one in High School--and yes I would love to see the LEAF community partner with the Schools--I can tell you first hand the choices aren't the best. This is not to put down our schools at all--it's everywhere--and I take shortcuts, too... however, would love to see us become leaders in this area as it seems we have some amazingly knowledgable people in our city already: )
Is it really more expensive to serve fresh vs. processed...or just more effort?
-our family just finished "Supersize Me" again---I have a son in Middle School and one in High School--and yes I would love to see the LEAF community partner with the Schools--I can tell you first hand the choices aren't the best. This is not to put down our schools at all--it's everywhere--and I take shortcuts, too... however, would love to see us become leaders in this area as it seems we have some amazingly knowledgable people in our city already: )
Is it really more expensive to serve fresh vs. processed...or just more effort?
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. "
--Margaret Mead.
--Margaret Mead.
-
Kate McCarthy
- Posts: 481
- Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2005 1:25 pm
- Location: Lakewood
I think the amount of time set aside for lunch is as much a problem as the food. Healthy food, like raw veg, sandwiches with whole grains, etc. generally take longer to eat. If we don't set aside more time for the kids to sit down and eat a proper meal, the food will still find its way into the garbage, whether healthy or not.
-
Stephen Eisel
- Posts: 3281
- Joined: Fri Jan 26, 2007 9:36 pm
-
Annie Stahlheber
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Wed Mar 01, 2006 7:51 pm
- Location: Lakewood
- Contact:
I love when people ask questions that sound like - why can't we just do the right thing? It's so simple!! I do this all the time 
The solution is simple - buy the food (at least seasonal vegetables and fruits) from local farmers! I can/will be of service in any way I can. A little work to find deals on healthy food - it can be done. Most of the time, when it seems like everyone knows the answer, and what needs to happen, there is one huge barrier to it; the person in charge. Does Nancy Early (foodservice director at the schools) read the Deck? Does anyone know her? I have had little success in the past with contacting her. I have tried to work with her to provide universal breakfast at Harrison elementary, to no avail -but that's another story.
The LEAF Community will be promoting the Community Supported Agriculture programs in the schools; but mainly to the parents, to participate in the LEAF nights. Maybe someone on the PTA can champion this cause....
~Annie
The solution is simple - buy the food (at least seasonal vegetables and fruits) from local farmers! I can/will be of service in any way I can. A little work to find deals on healthy food - it can be done. Most of the time, when it seems like everyone knows the answer, and what needs to happen, there is one huge barrier to it; the person in charge. Does Nancy Early (foodservice director at the schools) read the Deck? Does anyone know her? I have had little success in the past with contacting her. I have tried to work with her to provide universal breakfast at Harrison elementary, to no avail -but that's another story.
The LEAF Community will be promoting the Community Supported Agriculture programs in the schools; but mainly to the parents, to participate in the LEAF nights. Maybe someone on the PTA can champion this cause....
~Annie
-
Stephen Eisel
- Posts: 3281
- Joined: Fri Jan 26, 2007 9:36 pm
-
Justine Cooper
- Posts: 775
- Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:12 am
- Location: Lakewood
Annie, what do you mean by universal breakfast? I was not happy to see the breakfast menu that is provided for students who are also on free lunch program. It was worse than the lunch in terms of health and I don't agree with providing that for children. Providing a breakfast is the easiest and cheapest meal. Whole grain bread and an egg, or yogurt with fruit, etc. can be done for under $2. I also wonder if parents can't get their kids breakfast at least, are we enabling them by providing this. That may be a whole other post.Annie Stahlheber wrote:I love when people ask questions that sound like - why can't we just do the right thing? It's so simple!! I do this all the time
I have tried to work with her to provide universal breakfast at Harrison elementary, to no avail -but that's another story.
~Annie
"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive" Dalai Lama
-
Annie Stahlheber
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Wed Mar 01, 2006 7:51 pm
- Location: Lakewood
- Contact:
Justine-
I knew that the breakfast thing would sway this thread.....but
Universal breakfast is to provide free breakfast to all children in the school. Basically only high free/reduced schools qualify for this. If a FSD (foodservice director) chose to provide universal breakfast, she would get a higher reimbursement rate from the USDA. If you provide just regular breakfast, not universal, some kids have to pay and some kids get the free/reduced price depending on income. It is to the advantage of the FSD to provide universal breakfast, since A. all kids would be more likely to eat breakfast if everyone was going to breakfast and it didn't cost anything B. she would get more money back from the government.
When this idea was proposed (by the principal and P.E. teacher) - Nancy didn't want to do this at only one school (because Harrison has a higher percentage of needy students than other schools). She thought that she would get complaints from parents at other schools who had to pay for their breakfasts. We proposed it as a pilot project - but it didn't happen. The problem is, the children at Harrison should get it, they are higher need, and they shouldn't be singled out to NOT get the free breakfast when they qualify and kids at other schools are more likely to get a breakfast at home. I agree with you on the "most important meal" - however the breakfasts that are served are cereal (sweetened), pastry and OJ/milk. Not what I would give my kids (if I had any) but it sure beats nothing!
Stephen-
I don't believe that the school board controls what the FSD purchases. They definitely want the department to be on budget, but I don't think they control all of the locations where food can be purchased. When I worked in a school foodservice, we quoted several companies to get the lowest price, and find what we were looking for. Not exactly sure though....
I knew that the breakfast thing would sway this thread.....but
Universal breakfast is to provide free breakfast to all children in the school. Basically only high free/reduced schools qualify for this. If a FSD (foodservice director) chose to provide universal breakfast, she would get a higher reimbursement rate from the USDA. If you provide just regular breakfast, not universal, some kids have to pay and some kids get the free/reduced price depending on income. It is to the advantage of the FSD to provide universal breakfast, since A. all kids would be more likely to eat breakfast if everyone was going to breakfast and it didn't cost anything B. she would get more money back from the government.
When this idea was proposed (by the principal and P.E. teacher) - Nancy didn't want to do this at only one school (because Harrison has a higher percentage of needy students than other schools). She thought that she would get complaints from parents at other schools who had to pay for their breakfasts. We proposed it as a pilot project - but it didn't happen. The problem is, the children at Harrison should get it, they are higher need, and they shouldn't be singled out to NOT get the free breakfast when they qualify and kids at other schools are more likely to get a breakfast at home. I agree with you on the "most important meal" - however the breakfasts that are served are cereal (sweetened), pastry and OJ/milk. Not what I would give my kids (if I had any) but it sure beats nothing!
Stephen-
I don't believe that the school board controls what the FSD purchases. They definitely want the department to be on budget, but I don't think they control all of the locations where food can be purchased. When I worked in a school foodservice, we quoted several companies to get the lowest price, and find what we were looking for. Not exactly sure though....
-
Chris Trapp
- Posts: 71
- Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2006 11:46 am
- Location: Lakewood
- Contact:
From what I know, the main difficulty is that local farmers are unable to provide produce that the school needs year-round. I don't know this for a fact, but I would imagine that Sysco (or whomever supplies the food) would not be very open to supplying food for only part of the year.
For this reason, many people in the local foods community are looking to establish a certified commercial kitchen that could meet the needs of local food producers by providing the means to preserve their products, thereby enabling a year-round source of local produce for schools, hospitals, and restaurants. Such a kitchen would also allow small-scale production of jams, pickles, sauces, etc which could help grow a local economy. Such a kitchen exists in Athens, Ohio.
The LEAF Community has identified the establishment of a shared, community kitchen as a necessary component of our vision. This may be a ways off, but to start the discussion, does anyone know of a local church that has a certifed kitchen that might be open to partnership?
For this reason, many people in the local foods community are looking to establish a certified commercial kitchen that could meet the needs of local food producers by providing the means to preserve their products, thereby enabling a year-round source of local produce for schools, hospitals, and restaurants. Such a kitchen would also allow small-scale production of jams, pickles, sauces, etc which could help grow a local economy. Such a kitchen exists in Athens, Ohio.
The LEAF Community has identified the establishment of a shared, community kitchen as a necessary component of our vision. This may be a ways off, but to start the discussion, does anyone know of a local church that has a certifed kitchen that might be open to partnership?
-
Justine Cooper
- Posts: 775
- Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:12 am
- Location: Lakewood
Thanks Annie, and I think that was a great idea and hope you can still pursue it. If I sound a bit jaded on the free breakfast thing, it is because having been in social work, and even since I have been out of social work, I have seen parents who receive food stamps and/or WIC, sell their food stamps and send their kids to get the free breakfast. That is my dilemma I guess, is watching moms become more and more lazy because others are doing what they should be doing. Yes I sound jaded, but a part of me thinks if you can't get your child breakfast, you need other intervention.
The ironic part of the free breakfast is that it really doesn't come down to the affordability part, which is what I think you are addressing, especially if the family does receive food stamps to buy food, but comes down to the fact that some children aren't getting it, and that of course affects their behavior and ability to comprehend academics, not to mention their future health when they don't get the vitamins and nutrition they need to grow properly. I think providing it for all children is better than a fraction because the kids just above poverty line slip through the cracks with no governmental aid at home, and of course there are kids who don't qualify but still aren't getting breakfast at home. But I still think the breakfast should be whole grains, fresh fruit, etc. and not sugary items with hydrogenated oil that harms children.
I also find it incredulous that 1. it took this country years to change the food pyramid, long after they knew white flour had no benefits for kids/adults and that whole grains do; and 2. even after changing the food pyramid, we continue to feed the children meals that include many unhealthy elements of the old pyramid, not to mention foods with hydrogenated oil (now listed on the food pyramid as a bad and unnecessary part of food).
I also find it tragic that we are a country that is filled with more parents concerned about the brand names of clothes their children have, the newest toys that are out, and even, yes, meeting standards for high stakes testing, but have little to no regard for the food that goes into the children. The food that has PROVEN RESEARCH to cause cancer and other ailments with the hyrdrogenated oil, an oil that is man-made, devastating to the human body, and outlawed in Europe! Yet we serve it to the kids and push them to pass tests that won't mean anything if they are fighting cancer or diabetes or obesity and heart issues later in life when they are in their chosen field!
OK That is my soapbox and I am impressed at the ideas of local farmers food being served in the cafeteria and even providing nutritional breakfast for all children. It is just sometimes a fine line between enabling parents who are too lazy to get their children breakfast and providing for the kids who really need it during these economic times. Sorry for that cynical side of me and good luck on pursuing this for Harrison!
The ironic part of the free breakfast is that it really doesn't come down to the affordability part, which is what I think you are addressing, especially if the family does receive food stamps to buy food, but comes down to the fact that some children aren't getting it, and that of course affects their behavior and ability to comprehend academics, not to mention their future health when they don't get the vitamins and nutrition they need to grow properly. I think providing it for all children is better than a fraction because the kids just above poverty line slip through the cracks with no governmental aid at home, and of course there are kids who don't qualify but still aren't getting breakfast at home. But I still think the breakfast should be whole grains, fresh fruit, etc. and not sugary items with hydrogenated oil that harms children.
I also find it incredulous that 1. it took this country years to change the food pyramid, long after they knew white flour had no benefits for kids/adults and that whole grains do; and 2. even after changing the food pyramid, we continue to feed the children meals that include many unhealthy elements of the old pyramid, not to mention foods with hydrogenated oil (now listed on the food pyramid as a bad and unnecessary part of food).
I also find it tragic that we are a country that is filled with more parents concerned about the brand names of clothes their children have, the newest toys that are out, and even, yes, meeting standards for high stakes testing, but have little to no regard for the food that goes into the children. The food that has PROVEN RESEARCH to cause cancer and other ailments with the hyrdrogenated oil, an oil that is man-made, devastating to the human body, and outlawed in Europe! Yet we serve it to the kids and push them to pass tests that won't mean anything if they are fighting cancer or diabetes or obesity and heart issues later in life when they are in their chosen field!
OK That is my soapbox and I am impressed at the ideas of local farmers food being served in the cafeteria and even providing nutritional breakfast for all children. It is just sometimes a fine line between enabling parents who are too lazy to get their children breakfast and providing for the kids who really need it during these economic times. Sorry for that cynical side of me and good luck on pursuing this for Harrison!
"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive" Dalai Lama
-
Annie Stahlheber
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Wed Mar 01, 2006 7:51 pm
- Location: Lakewood
- Contact:
Another way to educate people and provide healthy produce is through school gardening. Since our (LEAF) community gardening program is still at the starting point in our organization and outreach; this is obviously an idea (along with the idea Chris discussed with the community kitchen) for the future. Our community gardening chair, Amy Bennett is also a teacher, and hopes to incorporate gardening at the school.
There are so many ways to make positive changes, I tend to focus on things that I can do rather than trying to change people's minds and convince them to change. My background in counseling taught me this - you can only change people who are ready. You can always educate people on the consequences of their actions (or inactions) but you can't make someone make a change unless they have bought in and are ready.
But I still would like to reiterate that I am happy to meet with and discuss this with Nancy or the PTA etc.
The problem with the food pyramid is that the government doesn't simply look at scientific research to determine what to tell us what to eat. Creating the food pyramid includes nutrition experts, but also all those "special (they sure are special aren't they) interest groups". For example, the World Health Organization recommended no more than 5% of calories from added sugars. The US dietary guidelines were published less strict, limiting added sugars to 10% of calories. This was a settlement between the scientists (people looking out for our health) and the sugar people (soft drink association looking out for their pocketbooks). This is only 1 example of many that explain why we had a pyramid that really doesn't really have our best interest at heart.
There are several things like "universal breakfast" that can be done at a school or district level for little money (or profit) that help with academic acheivement. Other ideas that have improved test scores, attendence, and reduced deisciplinary problems include: recess before lunch, 5 minute energizers, and before school activity clubs.
There are so many ways to make positive changes, I tend to focus on things that I can do rather than trying to change people's minds and convince them to change. My background in counseling taught me this - you can only change people who are ready. You can always educate people on the consequences of their actions (or inactions) but you can't make someone make a change unless they have bought in and are ready.
But I still would like to reiterate that I am happy to meet with and discuss this with Nancy or the PTA etc.
The problem with the food pyramid is that the government doesn't simply look at scientific research to determine what to tell us what to eat. Creating the food pyramid includes nutrition experts, but also all those "special (they sure are special aren't they) interest groups". For example, the World Health Organization recommended no more than 5% of calories from added sugars. The US dietary guidelines were published less strict, limiting added sugars to 10% of calories. This was a settlement between the scientists (people looking out for our health) and the sugar people (soft drink association looking out for their pocketbooks). This is only 1 example of many that explain why we had a pyramid that really doesn't really have our best interest at heart.
There are several things like "universal breakfast" that can be done at a school or district level for little money (or profit) that help with academic acheivement. Other ideas that have improved test scores, attendence, and reduced deisciplinary problems include: recess before lunch, 5 minute energizers, and before school activity clubs.
-
Brad Hutchison
- Posts: 247
- Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:45 pm
Annie, as I was reading through this thread I was thinking about the feasibility of school gardening. I'm glad smarter people than me are already considering it!
The Cleveland Botanical Garden runs a program called Green Corps in which students in the Corps maintain gardens throughout the area, and actually produce salsa available locally (I know Heinen's carries it). Perhaps the Green Corps could help inspire some ideas for a school gardening program?
The Cleveland Botanical Garden runs a program called Green Corps in which students in the Corps maintain gardens throughout the area, and actually produce salsa available locally (I know Heinen's carries it). Perhaps the Green Corps could help inspire some ideas for a school gardening program?
Be the change you want to see in the world.
-Gandhi
-Gandhi
-
Phil Florian
- Posts: 538
- Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 4:24 pm
This is an excellent discussion and exactly the kind of community thinking that, with time, could be implemented at the school, I would think. On the point about healthier food taking longer to eat, I caught a short story on the morning news a week or two ago about a school that implements a silent lunch period at the elementary school. It was an idea of a principal to get kids to eat. My daughter comes home with food left over in her bag and notes the few times she does buy that she doesn't eat it all. The biggest reason is she and her friends are chatty and don't take the time to eat.
This principal implemented a system where the first 10-15 minutes of the lunch period is silent. She hangs little red cups at the end of each table and when the time is up, the kids at the ends of the table change them to green cups and talking can begin. I thought this was brilliant. Kids can eat fine in 10-15 minutes if they aren't distracted by their peers. Just a thought.
Otherwise, this is a great discussion and would love to see how such a relationship would work. Even if we don't see a change to local farmers, a more involved discussion with nutrician and what foods are chosen for the school lunches would be great. It would be neat to know more about who makes these decisions at a local level, costs, how it could change, etc.
This principal implemented a system where the first 10-15 minutes of the lunch period is silent. She hangs little red cups at the end of each table and when the time is up, the kids at the ends of the table change them to green cups and talking can begin. I thought this was brilliant. Kids can eat fine in 10-15 minutes if they aren't distracted by their peers. Just a thought.
Otherwise, this is a great discussion and would love to see how such a relationship would work. Even if we don't see a change to local farmers, a more involved discussion with nutrician and what foods are chosen for the school lunches would be great. It would be neat to know more about who makes these decisions at a local level, costs, how it could change, etc.