The Associated Press and Lee Pulaski, lpulaski@wolfrivermedia.com
Wisconsin’s school districts buy plenty of local fruits and vegetables for their lunchrooms, according to federal agriculture officials.
A survey by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows the districts could do better in purchasing dairy products from local farmers. Thirty-two percent of schools involved in the Farm to School program are buying milk from local sources, and 22 percent of schools are purchasing other dairy products, such as cheese, locally.
Farm to School is a national program that aims to bring locally sourced foods into school cafeterias, while also educating students about the origins of their sustenance.
The USDA census shows 59 percent of 315 Wisconsin school districts that responded to a survey are involved in the Farm to School program. Eighty percent are buying local fruits and vegetables for their students.
The state’s schools have “hit it out of the ballpark” with the amount of locally sourced fruits and vegetables they provide for their students, said Deborah Kane, the national director of the USDA program.
“Schools probably got started by bringing fruits and vegetables into their salad bars or into their lunches, but it’s probably time for Wisconsin to go a little further,” Kane said.
The dairy industry is an important component of Wisconsin’s economy. Wisconsin produced 27.6 billion pounds of milk and 2.9 billion pounds of cheese in 2013, the Daily Tribune Media reported, citing figures from the state Department of Agriculture.
Sarah Moesch, director of Shawano School District’s food service program through Taher Inc., said Friday she would eagerly embrace purchasing her dairy products locally, as long as she was able to keep within the USDA’s stringent nutritional requirements.
The district already purchases many of its fruits and vegetables through vendors in Bonduel and Black Creek, she said.
“I’ve never dabbled in the dairy, but I wouldn’t be opposed to it,” Moesch said. “I know some other schools that have brought in goats and had creameries come in and talk about goat cheese. Obviously, we’re a dairy state.”
Kane, who spoke Thursday at the Wisconsin Farm to School Summit, said the cafeteria should be an extension of the school’s education, not just a place where students rush through.
“What if the kinds of foods that the kids are eating in the cafeteria are then used in science class or discussed in math class?” Kane said, adding, “What if school lunch looked, and felt a little more like, family meal time?”
Shawano has participated in the Farm to School program for four years, and the district also provides meals for the Gresham School District. Besides providing good food to the students, Farm to School offers a learning experience for the students, according to Moesch.
“Some of the students are not raised in a rural setting. Some of them may not be familiar, if they’re not farmers, where their food comes from, especially younger children,” Moesch said. “It’s more of an educational piece.”