Area schools serve locally grown foods during Home Grown School Lunch Week, September 19-23

School lunch is getting a healthy and fresh makeover this week.  Fourteen northeast Iowa schools are serving local foods on school lunch menus and participating in nutrition education and fitness activities as part of Home Grown School Lunch Week, September 19-23.  The schools are receiving support from the NE Iowa Food & Fitness Initiative (FFI) in planning the activities for the week.   

What Is Home Grown School Lunch Week?
It's a week where the focus is on eating local foods as part of school lunches (one day or all week), along with conducting school-based activities to promote healthier eating.  Food Service Directors in local school systems will offer local items on the school lunch menu during the week.  Nutrition education information will be provided to students, and they will learn the benefits of using Iowa-grown foods.
 
School and student groups such as the Food & Fitness Youth Teams, FFA, and 4-H are encouraged to create and participate in Farm-to-School events. Students can also participate by buying local foods and packing an Iowa Home Grown Lunch.

Providing support for Home Grown School Lunch Week in addition to the Food & Fitness Initiative are Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Luther College and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

What Is Farm to School?
In 2007, Iowa lawmakers passed Farm to School legislation to establish a program that would link elementary, secondary, public and non-public schools with Iowa farmers; provide schools with fresh and minimally processed Iowa grown food for inclusion in school meals and snacks; and to encourage children to develop healthy eating habits and provide them with hands-on learning opportunities, such as farm visits, cooking demonstrations, and school gardening and composting programs.

Participating Schools:
1.    Central Community Schools, Elkader.
2.    Clayton Ridge Community Schools, Guttenberg.
3.    Howard Winneshiek Schools, Cresco.
4.    New Hampton Community Schools, New Hampton.
5.    North Fayette Community Schools, West Union.
6.    North Winneshiek School, Burr Oak. 
7.    Oelwein Community Schools. 
8.    Postville Community Schools.
9.    Riceville Community Schools, Riceville.
10.    South Winneshiek Schools, Calmar. 
11.    Starmont Community Schools, Arlington.
12.    St. Joseph's School, New Hampton.
13.    Turkey Valley Community Schools.
14.    Valley of Elgin.
15.  Decorah Schools.

School Plans:

Central of Elkader
Serving a local fruit or vegetable every day including cucumber salad, lettuce, apples, coleslaw and carrots.

Clayton Ridge
Local produce for tasting samples at our Go the Distance Day on September 27 for the entire Clayton Ridge Elementary and High School Students. 

Decorah
Serving squash and ratatouille mix from the school garden and apples from a local producer.

Howard-Winneshiek
Serving local fruits and vegetables all week.

New Hampton
Serving produce grown in school greenhouse managed by FFA students.

North Fayette
Serving local apples throughout the week for lunch and breakfast.  Making carrot cake featuring local carrots.   Will be highlight one fact about Iowa farming each day.

North Winneshiek
Middle  School youth will talk to PK-3 at lunch about the school garden as we plan on serving produce from the garden next week.  Will also serve apples and other local veggies during the week.

Oelwein
Has a variety of events planned for the week including the Family Fall Harvest Fair on Sept. 21 from 5-7 p.m. in the high school cafeteria.  Like last year, the fair will have plenty of activities, food and educational opportunities for both children and adults.

Postville
Serving fruit and vegetables from school garden and local farmers including cucumbers, melons, cabbage and apples.   They are also planning Family Meal Night on Sept. 26 featuring local pork and coleslaw at 5:30 pm at the Elementary School.

Riceville
Will serve produce from school garden.  Menu includes local apples. 

South Winneshiek
Nutrition Services will be serving a local grown vegetable or fruit each day during Home Grown School Lunch Week.  Will talk to students about school garden and sample fresh raspberries grown there.   They are hosting student taste tests including 11 different varieties of apples. Lunch menu for the week includes tomatoes, broccoli, baked potatoes, watermelon and apples.

Starmont
Starmont will have taste-it treats offered in the lunch room and in the classrooms during the week.  Fresh vegetables and fresh fruits will be offered on the menu two times during the week.

St. Joseph's, New Hampton
Serving local apples for lunch.

Turkey Valley
Will serve produce from school garden.  Menu includes local fruits and vegetables.

Valley of Elgin
Fresh produce will be used in mixed lettuce salad, mixed veggies, warm veggies, and on the salad bar.  We always have local foods on our salad bar daily until they are no longer available.  Will have tastings with elementary students to sample broccoli, cauliflower, green pepper, and cucumbers.  School cooks will be sporting new veggie aprons.  They are green with colorful veggies on the pockets.