Farm to School

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Created on Tuesday, 02 October 2012 18:12
Written by Sean Siciliano

farm to schoolsST. JOHNSBURY - The St. Johnsbury Academy is starting to move through the process of getting a program that will encourage healthy eating to their students. "Farm to Schools" uses local resources as a teaching method to instill the idea of a healthy lifestyle. Local Farms, like Joe Brook's farm, will benefit greatly from this future program.

 "When we sell to schools, we sell wholesale for wholesale prices and try to meet Sodexo's quotes, which is much lower than we normally get. We are learning how to grow more efficiently and for less of a cost so we can do that", said Mary Skovsted who is the owner of Joe Brook's Farm. 

The Academy is trying to uses this program in their culinary department as well, as they already get products from many local companies already. Buying local is important to many community members as they support local farmers markets almost every weekend. One of the culinary instructors says that the economic impact of buying local however, especially meat, is one of their biggest challenges.

"This is the thing that most people don't understand about the fresh ingredients is that it takes more time. It takes more time to get in the door, it takes more time to process it and that is a big challenge. Another challenge is the center of the plate is protein, and local proteins are super expensive and justifiable so", said Dave Hale a culinary instructor at the Academy.

The most important part about this program is the lesson it will teach the students. Not only will it show them the benefits of buying local, but they will be able to pass on the message of healthy living to others.

"Teaching children at a really young age is not teaching them per say, giving them more awareness and introduction to it. Having the garden and stuff, they can play in the dirt, and pick cherry tomatoes and sugar snap peas and eat them out of the garden its just an amazing foundation for kids for a healthy lifestyle," says Melissa Bridges who is the Education Director of the St. Johnsbury Area Local Food Alliance.