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Somerville school menu served on Beacon Hill
Alix Roy
Guests at the State House Legislative Breakfast were treated to a local meal from the Somerville school dining service.
On Thursday morning, Somerville students and members of the state Legislature had a little something in common. For breakfast, both chose from a selection of yogurt parfaits, cereals, whole wheat bagels, and apples grown in Lunenburg.For many school districts, offering a school menu to politicians accustomed to professionally catered meals borders on the unthinkable. But in Somerville, Food Services director Mary Jo McLarney is transforming cafeterias into hubs for locally grown produce through the district's Farm to School program.
Last year, her department spent $47,000 on fruits and vegetables grown at nearby farms. Half a million was spent on new equipment for cafeteria staff to create daily salads and menu items using a featured vegetable of the month. A corn shucking party with students, parents, and school administrators taught kids what fresh produce looks like and got them involved in the process.
“We taste test with the kids to see what they like,” McLarney said on
Thursday. “There's no point to this project if the kids aren't eating
the food.”
In 2006, 48 percent of Somerville students in grades 4 through 8 were either overweight or obese, McLarney said. Sixty-eight percent of the students in the district qualify for free or reduced meals. Recently, the district partnered with local cookbook author Sally Sampon to distribute a free magazine teaching kids healthy eating habits.
As state representatives and State House employees enjoyed their Somerville breakfast, McLarney spoke of the importance of supporting local agriculture through legislative measures and increased support from neighboring districts.
“The more we can support local farms the more cost effective these programs will become,” she said. “If we don't support local agriculture now we're going to miss the opportunity to have local agriculture. We're losing farms every day.”
Buying locally for a school district of Somerville's size has not been an overnight success, McLarney said, but the district has doubled its local purchasing every year since implementing the Farm to School program seven years ago.
"It's been a long and difficult process," McLarney said. "But it's been a wonderful experience."
In 2006, 48 percent of Somerville students in grades 4 through 8 were either overweight or obese, McLarney said. Sixty-eight percent of the students in the district qualify for free or reduced meals. Recently, the district partnered with local cookbook author Sally Sampon to distribute a free magazine teaching kids healthy eating habits.
As state representatives and State House employees enjoyed their Somerville breakfast, McLarney spoke of the importance of supporting local agriculture through legislative measures and increased support from neighboring districts.
“The more we can support local farms the more cost effective these programs will become,” she said. “If we don't support local agriculture now we're going to miss the opportunity to have local agriculture. We're losing farms every day.”
Buying locally for a school district of Somerville's size has not been an overnight success, McLarney said, but the district has doubled its local purchasing every year since implementing the Farm to School program seven years ago.
"It's been a long and difficult process," McLarney said. "But it's been a wonderful experience."
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