October is National School Lunch Week and National Farm to School Month. The Farm-to-School initiative connects schools with regional or local farms to serve healthy meals using locally produced foods. Throughout the school year, Greenbrier County Schools purchases all of the eggs used in the county’s school meal program from local farmers and serves fresh fruits and vegetables grown at local farms and school gardens at Smoot Elementary, Alderson Elementary, Eastern Greenbrier Middle and Western Greenbrier Middle schools.
In celebration of National School Lunch Week and National Farm to School Month, Greenbrier County Schools will serve an all local meal for students at Greenbrier West High School on Friday, October 17th. The menu will include chicken from Rainbow Farm in Summers County which will be processed by ProStart culinary arts students at Greenbrier West. The students will meet learning goals and objectives and acquire new skills as they process the whole chickens for the school cooks to prepare oven baked chicken.
In addition, salad greens and vegetables from school gardens at Eastern Greenbrier Middle School, Western Greenbrier Middle School and a variety of local farmers will be served. Roasted vegetable medley will be prepared with school grown and local farm grown sweet potatoes, red potatoes, zucchini and butternut squash. To top off the menu, homemade, whole grain rolls and WV home grown apples will also be served.
“We are very fortunate to have so many local farms right here in Greenbrier County and are excited to feature their fresh foods in our school meals program as often as possible. Approximately 95 percent of West Virginia farms are family-owned; the highest in the U.S. Supporting local farms supports local families and supports good nutrition. It just makes sense. The food is not only fresh, it’s more nutritionally sound when purchased local and our students notice the difference,” states Jenny Curry, child nutrition program coordinator for Greenbrier County Schools.
To learn more about the Farm-to-School initiative or other Greenbrier County Schools child nutrition services, contact Jenny Curry, at 304-647-6462 or go to www.groweducatesell.com.
