Improving school lunches!

[mzteris]

The Wisconsin State Assembly passed the Farm to School bill Tuesday creating the framework for a statewide program. A Farm to School Advisory Council will be established within the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection along with a coordinator and grant program.

The program links locally-grown food with school cafeterias, Assembly Ag Committee Chair, Amy Sue Vruwink says “it will help farmers gain access to new markets while providing students with nutritious and fresh locally grown foods.” Vruwink adds, “Farm-to-School pilot projects around the state have shown that serving our school kids locally grown food increases their consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables both at school and at home.”

For more info about the model for this program: http://reapfoodgroup.org/Programs-Events/farm-to-school.html

[Tikki]

1. If this works it will be such an important...

paradigm shift in nutrition...it could help stave off the obesity crisis.

Good luck Wisconsin...I'll be following this, closely.


Tikki...former lunch lady.

[mzteris]

4. pass the word along to those

for whom you used to work. Get the information out that there are other options!

[jwirr]

2. That is a very good step forward toward localization. Good. Should

have been done years ago.

[mzteris]

3. good for the kids,

good for the farmers.

good for the local economy.

good for community health.


What I would like to see is that everyone who reads this, sends a copy to their schools and school boards.

[blondeatlast]

5. Excellent! nt

[mzteris]

6. check this out:

http://www.farmtoschool.org/

[pipi_k]

7. Something disturbing here...

Have school lunches really deteriorated that much in the 40 years since I graduated from High School, or were they always pretty much a pile of shit but nobody really cared what they fed us?



PS...did anyone ever figure out what "mystery meat" was made of?

:scared:

[live love laugh]

8. I attended public school in the 60's and 70's. We had delicious food and great teachers.

It is a shame that kids today get garbage in both the lunchroom and the classroom.

[MadHound]

9. 'Scuse me, but why are you slamming all teachers?

Your ignorance about what is going on in the classroom is showing. Tell you what, are you going to call me, and other teachers here on DU "garbage" to our face?

[live love laugh]

12. First of all I didn't mention teachers. Your invitation to call you garbage to your face

and your catapult to conclusions is where the real ignorance lies here.

Today's students do get garbage in the classroom--regardless of whether it is from being underpaid, union busting, and, yes, some unskilled teachers,or the cirriculum that they are required to teach or the overcrowded conditions, or the textbooks...the list could go on ad nauseum as to the reasons why students get garbage and why the dropout rate has increased to 50% or more in some areas.

[mzteris]

11. it's not the teachers!

It's the stupid regulations that have tied their hands. They're not allowed to really "TEACH" anymore. Memorization and regurgitation isn't teaching.

Having XX minutes for this subject and YY minutes for this subject doesn't leave a lot of room for creativity. Checking off "covered" on a list isn't imparting knowledge.


Though to be honest, not ALL schools function this way anymore. Having autonomy in the classroom to actually TEACH - that's what's needed.

[mzteris]

10. They're even worse if you can imagine.

My younger son has NEVER eaten a "school lunch".

They're promising healthier fare - and a daily vegetarian option - for middle school. We'll see.

I've been fighting this school lunch thing since I was a girl. I started boycotts of the lunchroom in one state in 5th grade and in another state in 7th grade.

My older son was diagnosed with a genetic cholesterol disorder when he was in Kindergarten so I began another campaign for healthier foods. The lunch ladies thought it was so funny that this little kid used to tell his friends, "don't eat that - it's got X amount of fat (or sodium or 'artificial stuff') in there." Here, have some salad!"

My younger son helped his friends organize a boycott (wonder where he got the idea?!?) last year (4th grade). We wanted to provide lunch one day for the school, but the school board wouldn't let us citing health reasons. Funny how we could bring a dish to "field day" and "picnic day", though. At any rate, a huge push started here in Madison to implement some new programs for lunch - especially incorporating produce from local farmers.

It's a win-win-win in my book.

I really hope people take this information to their local schools/school boards and look at improving their school lunches.

[Phentex]

13. Mine still have beef nuggets on the menu...

but my kids love school lunch. And really, it's pretty crappy at times and pretty good at times. I've eaten there.

Some days I'm shocked at what's served. I saw some kids with a little pile of cheese nachos on their trays and I commented that they should have picked up the entree or they were going to be really hungry. Well, that WAS the entree! Yes, the kids could have picked up other items (maybe fruit or a veggie was served too?) but who the hell serves 4 chips and some artificial cheese sauce as an entree?

[Taitertots]

14. Are they finally going to remove the highly addictive drug machines?

Oh, I mean the soda machines. It always seemed like pumping children full of sugar and caffeine before expecting them to sit still for hours was a bad idea.


I always brought a lunch because the "food" they served was foul.

[mzteris]

15. they don't have them here

in our schools.

They should be removed from ALL schools.

[Taitertots]

16. Thank you for showing me that pockets of sanity remain

The systemic insanity in the US starts to wear on me.

[mzteris]

17. ain't that just the

f'ing truth!

"systemic insanity" sums it up quite well. And it reminds me of that whole "hot water/frog" thing. It pains me that so many people haven't a clue what insanity they live in and support because they don't realize quite how insane it's become.

[Taitertots]

18. They don't realize because it has made them insane too

It is past the emperor having no clothes, everyone is butt naked.

[Arugula Latte]

19. Jamie Oliver will be pleased.

Good news. :)