Farm to School Month Brings Local Foods to Lunch Trays

Marshfield, WI (OnFocus) October may be National Farm to School Month, but students at the School District of Marshfield can get a taste of local products throughout the year thanks to special partnerships with area producers.

The items included in school menus this month included apples from Rock Ridge Orchard in Edgar, maple syrup from The Maple Dude in Granton, and lettuce from ColdSnap Aquaponics in Arpin.

“Teaching kids that eating local and understanding where food comes from is a really important thing,” said Stacey Weichelt, food service co-director.

The Farm to School program aims to provide students with access to healthy, local foods and to help them make informed choices. It also provides a boost to the economy — in the 2018-19 school year, the district spend just under $110,000 on local foods.

A grant in 2010 allowed Farm to School to get a jump-start at schools in Wood County, and the Marshfield school district now continues the program on its own.

Cost is a consideration for how often a local item can be added to the menu, as well as the capabilities of food service staff. Lettuce, for example, is more labor-intensive to prepare. However, the district does receive weekly shipments of lettuce to add to its salad bars throughout the school year.

Sometimes there is a one-time opportunity for a local item to be added to the menu, like kidney beans for a chili lunch last year. “Whenever there’s an opportunity to add local foods to the menu, we do,” Weichelt said.

During the winter months there are fewer opportunities to source local produce, but potatoes, frozen blueberries, and dairy products will still find their way to the menu. Additional items that students have been able to enjoy include Ocean Spray dried cranberries, Hewitt’s Meat hot dogs, and Nasonville Dairy cheese.

To learn more about the initiative, visit FarmtoSchool.org.