Join Massachusetts Farm to School and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office for Food and Nutrition Programs (FNP) in celebrating School Year 2024-2025’s monthly Terrific Tray Winners!
School nutrition programs across the Commonwealth have submitted photographs of trays featuring delicious local foods sourced from local and regional farms, dairies, and fisheries. We now need YOU to cast your vote in selecting a 2025 Terrific Tray of the Year from among our monthly winners. Only one vote per person, please. Voting closes May 9, 2025.
The tray with the most votes will be recognized as the Terrific Tray of the Year in May 2025 at the Healthy Kids, Healthy Programs Summit.
Brookline Public Schools students dove into a delicious and sustainable meal featuring Northcoast Seafood’s “seaweed -ish” kelp meatballs drizzled with boom-boom sauce. Sasha Palmer, Brookline Food Service Director, and her team made waves with their spread of cilantro-lime rice, rainbow carrots roasted with oil and thyme, fresh salad and bright orange wedges. In addition to kelp meatballs, featured local foods include the crinkle carrots sourced from Joe Czajkowski Farm in Hadley, MA, the lettuce from Little Leaf Farms in Shirley, MA, and the cilantro and thyme from Brookline’s very own indoor terraponic growing system. This meal was shore to please! One additional ingredient to Brookline’s success is the district’s school wellness policy which centers program goals for serving plant-based, freshly-prepared and minimally processed foods that are locally- and regionally-sourced, when possible. Follow @brooklinefoodservice on Instagram for more school meal inspiration!
Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School (SVAHS)’s food service director, Heather Bouley & her lunch bunch crew have put together a wonderful tray ft. 7 (!!!) different local fruits and veggies, incl. tomatoes & squash from Bardwell Farm, and cucumbers and cauliflower from Plainville Farms. Their Mediterranean chicken gyro included romaine lettuce grown by SVAHS’s horticulture dept. And they’re celebrating March’s Harvest of the Month: Diary by serving feta from Maplebrook Farm and Greek yogurt from Cabot, VT.
Everett Public Schools served an acai bowl packed with yogurt, granola, and fresh fruit. Chef Raymon Lebron and his team paired this meal with a honeycrisp apple from Carlson Orchards and quinoa kale salad with hyper local kale from Everett Community Growers. This tray is the perfect blend of local, nutritious and colorful ingredients! For more school meal ideas, check out Everett’s menus.
Falmouth Public Schools has taken local to the next level with their Tamale Pie featuring Falmouth-grown kale in honor of November’s Harvest of the Month. Kale was sourced from Coonamessett Farm, Peach Tree Circle Farm, and from Falmouth’s very own school garden. Cook Manager Amy Keefe and her team at Mullen Hall Elem. School served the tamale pie with applesauce, veggies, and hummus. For more inspiration, you can view the food service team’s photo slideshow.
Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District (Orange, MA) is bringing a local, fall twist to a cafeteria classic. Food Service Director Katrina Bressani & her team prepared Koginut squash (cross b/w kabocha and butternut) from Wards Berry Farm (Sharon, MA) and baked it with marinara, mozzarella, basil, and parmesan. Their Squash Parmesan was served with a salad featuring tomatoes from Backyard Farms (Madison, ME), whole wheat garlic knot, and a Bosc pear grown at Yonder Farms (Albany, NY).
Seekonk Public Schools is rolling out something special with Chartwell’s Teriyaki Chicken Sushi Roll! Chef Steve DaFonseca and his team served their sushi with a cucumber tomato citrus salad featuring cucumbers and tomatoes from Ward’s Berry Farm (Sharon, MA). Paired with a crisp edamame carrot slaw, this meal is a hit!
Wilmington Public Schools students are enjoying roasted local chicken (recipe) and summer vegetables this fall. Wilmington Food Service Director Mary Palen and her team sourced rotisserie chicken from Nallie Pastures in Dracut, MA, corn on the cob from Northern Valley Farms in Granby, CT, romaine lettuce from CT Food 4 Thought in Torrington, CT and apples from Blue Hills Orchard in Wallingford, CT. Follow Wilmington School Nutrition on Facebook, X, and Instagram (@cafewildcat_)!
Springfield Public Schools’ Chicken Caesar Salad (Recipe) is kicking off the school year with crispy Little Leaf Lettuce grown year-round in Devens, MA in a hydroponic greenhouse! Students at Springfield’s High School of Commerce had the opportunity to customize their salad with such toppings as cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, baby carrots, croutons, diced chicken, and cheese. A pear, orange and scratch made Ceasar dressing round out the tray. Follow Home Grown Springfield on Facebook and Instagram @homegrownsps for more program updates!
Phone: (413) 253-3844
Email: info@massfarmtoschool.org
