Even as the streets of Boston were covered in winter’s snow and ice, students at Boston University were enjoying farm fresh foods thanks to the creative chefs at BU Dining and Harvest of the Month, an initiative of Mass. Farm to School. Harvest of the Month is a statewide local foods campaign encouraging schools and other institutions in the Commonwealth to feature a different locally grown crop on their cafeteria menus each month.
This was the pilot year of Harvest of the Month, which ran from September 2013 through February 2014. Mass. Farm to School supported 117 public school districts, plus 11 independent schools and 9 universities in implementing the program this school year. Participating institutions committed to locally sourcing and menuing the featured crop at least twice during the month. Mass. Farm to School provided promotional materials and resources to link the cafeteria meals to other areas of the school, such as the classroom and school garden, with activities and local food, nutrition, and farming curriculum. Mass. Farm to School also shared recipes for use in school meals and at home.
Featured local foods were chosen carefully, keeping in mind their nutritional value, tastiness, availability, volume required to serve so many eaters, and for flexibility in school meals. Some, like apples and tomatoes are familiar to just about everyone, while others were less familiar, especially to young students. (Kale salad for school lunch? Why not!).
A few participants were surprised to see carrots as the featured crop in February. Carrots are a good storage crop, meaning that they can be kept fresh long after the fall harvest. And, thanks to an innovative program of the Greenfield, MA-based Western Mass. Food Processing Center, chefs aren’t limited by the short New England growing season. The Food Processing Center freezes locally grown crops at the peak of the season for use in institutional kitchens year-round. The Processing Center and Mass. Farm to School work together to make sure that school food chefs across the state can access this unique local product.
The Western Mass. Processing Center froze almost 5000 pounds of locally grown vegetables in 2013 and has plans for expansion in 2014. “We are creating a year-round market for Massachusetts farmers and helping shorten the distance that food travels from field to plate no matter what time of year,” noted Food Processing Center Director, John Waite. Food service management company Chartwells, purchased 1,820 pounds of frozen carrots for its 60 Massachusetts K-12 schools. Anther 2,140lbs went to 71 Chartwells schools in RI, CT, NY, and NH.
Boston University: Boston University served over 780 pounds of frozen local carrots throughout the month of February, and estimate that the carrots made it into nearly 8000 student meals. Students enjoyed a variety of carrot-focused recipes including carrot ginger soup, roasted balsamic and onion glazed carrots, and sesame-ginger barley salad with carrots and broccoli. While the dishes tasted great, they also were celebrated for meeting the University’s sustainability goals. “Boston University Dining Services is committed to creating a value-based food chain by working with local farmers and producers, distributors and other stakeholders, for the benefit of our students, staff, faculty and community. By supporting the Western MA Food Processing Center, we are not only supporting local farmers, but also the creation of a self-sustaining regional food system by extending the growing season through frozen vegetables.” explained BU Dining Director of Sustainability Sabrina Pashtan,
Farmington River Regional School in Otis: Harvest of the Month was a big success at the Farmington River Regional School where about 100 students choose school lunch each day. Food Service Director Kendra Rybacki sourced the Harvest of the Month crops both through her produce distributor and directly from local farms. She also employed some creative ideas to introduce her students to new menu items. She designed a “Food Explorers” board where the children got to see their name “in lights” with a Harvest of the Month trading card if they tried a food featuring the Harvest of the Month. The board shared nutrition information and fun facts about the month’s fruit or vegetable. At the end of the month students got to bring their cards home. Kendra said that in September students sampled farm-fresh tomatoes with their tacos and in fresh tomato kabobs! 90% of students gave tomatoes a try. Kids also received an “I tried it!” sticker when they tried a new food. Kendra connects with families and classrooms too. Earlier in the year each classroom prepared a healthy plate collage that was displayed in the cafeteria. And in addition to preparing a monthly menu, Kendra creates the “Kids Cafe News” each month to let family members know more about the healthy, delicious choices available to their students.
Harvest of the Month is part of a broader strategy to get kids eating healthier foods all while supporting local farmers. Michael DeChiara, Executive Director of Mass. Farm to School explains, “Harvest of the Month is a tool for celebrating healthy foods and the dedicated farmers in Massachusetts who are committed to nourishing our communities. When young people know where there food comes from, they are more willing to try new foods and develop healthy eating habits. Harvest of the Month is helping cultivate the next generation of local foods enthusiasts who will ensure that Massachusetts agriculture continues to thrive.”
Mass. Farm to School plans to expand Harvest of the Month to a 12-month program beginning in September 2014, allowing students across the state to experience the delicious bounty and diversity of Massachusetts agriculture in every season. Stay tuned for registration information coming this spring.
Phone: (413) 253-3844
Email: info@massfarmtoschool.org
