Goodbye, Mystery Meat. Today's parents are less likely to blindly accept being dismissed for asking "what's for lunch?" in our nation's public school lunch programs. They are less likely to keep silent about the level of processed foods, carbohydrates and refined sugar, GMOs, pesticides, milk with growth hormones, and irradiated meat. They are beginning to demand fresh fruits and vegetables. And their willingness to speak out, ask questions, and help implement change is being noticed.
I was recently asked to write an article about farm-to-school efforts, which involve including local farmer's produce in cafeteria offerings as well as school gardens and nutrition education. All the major stakeholders whom I've interviewed--those from the State Department of Education, the State Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, school administrators, teachers, parents, farmers, and yes, the students themselves, are beginning to converge. Yes, there are seemingly insurmountable barriers, and there are varying levels of success. But there are usually dynamic champions willing to spearhead the effort, without whom progress rarely seems to happen. And, ultimately, there is hope.
As I pull my final research together, I have a request! If you are involved in any aspect of farm-to-school initiatives in the state of Georgia, please email me at freshbakedcopy@mindspring.com or leave a comment on this post to let us all know what's happening by you. I'd love to hear your story.
Considering getting involved in "rethinking school lunch"? Click here for a great overview of the issues and opportunities. And no mention of school gardens is complete without a visit to The Edible Schoolyard.
Summer is a great time to learn about what's happening, before the first school bell, the first homework, the first test. Before the first serving of Mystery Meat.
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