The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Schools, farmers benefit from push to 'buy local'
By Jackie Smith, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: July 31, 2008
The movement for consumers to buy produce from local farms has extended far into today's communities, feeding even the youngest of buyers in neighborhood schools.
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The Chelsea School District has been piloting a farm-to-school project over the past year with full anticipation of its continuation this fall, said Food Service Director Karen Carty.
"We have found that utilizing local foods not only helps the food budget, but also provides us with fresher-tasting, more nutritious products overall," Carty said. "We are proud to support our local farmers and have this partnership to be very beneficial."
Besides settling kids' appetites in a healthy way, Chelsea schools also offers a program for free or reduced-priced lunches to students whose families are not financially able to purchase meals regularly.
"Currently less than 5 percent of Chelsea students have taken advantage of this program," Carty said. "We continually urge families who are struggling to complete an application and return it to their school office."
Though the program requires most families to complete an application available online, she said families who receive food stamp assistance are automatically approved.
Like Chelsea, Dexter Community Schools also offers free or 40-cent meals to low-income families, depending on their individual financial situation.
"I think a lot of parents have financial pressures this year," said Sara Simmerman, director of Food and Nutrition for Dexter schools. "I think some of that has been passed down to the kids."
Simmerman says the meal benefit program started nearly simultaneously with the lunch program itself, recalling it was available when she was in school during the 1960s.
While Dexter has been successful in some endeavors, attempts to bring healthy and less-expensive meals into school cafeterias though area farms have not been fulfilled.
"Right now I am trying to connect with local farmers to set up deliveries to Dexter High School, but I'm having very limited success," Simmerman said.
"It is difficult to find anyone who can deliver to a small school system directly."
Formerly employed out-of-state, Simmerman recalled having a middleman bring local produce to schools, which is often key, but food services for Dexter are still familiar statewide.
"During the fall, I can buy Michigan produce from Gordon and Van Eerden food service companies," she said. "I couldn't tell you how local it is - most of it is from Grand Rapids."
Dexter's food-service staff strives to keep costs in line and meals affordable, Simmerman said, through keeping tabs on product waste.
Commitment to student health is proven, she said, because they are "implementing more whole grains, less sugar and sodium," and also through the avoidance of fried foods.
"Students in this area have very sophisticated tastes," Simmerman noted.
"Younger children like more traditional finger foods like chicken nuggets (and) mini corndogs, (while) high school students love pasta, stromboli, pizza (and) hummus."
Dexter's established meal prices continue this fall. Older students can enjoy breakfast for $1.50 and lunch at $2.50. Specials like a salad and sandwich cost $3.25.
"Our lunch and breakfast prices are not going up this year," Simmerman said.
"I believe we are one of the few districts who are not increasing in the state."
Chelsea's meal prices for this school year have not been finalized by the board of education, but last year breakfast prices were $1.30 for kindergarten through fourth grade and $1.40 for grades 5 through 12; lunches were $2.60 for K-4 and $2.85 for 5-12.
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