Local produce in schools means better taste, more profits

Local produce in schools means better taste, more profits
by adam gorlick / associated press writer

MAR 25, 2007 3:20 PM EDT
WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) -- They're rarely considered haute cuisine, more often
serving as jokes for students or worse -- becoming the stuff of food fights.

But meals being dished out in the country's college dining halls and
grade-school cafeterias are getting tastier and more nutritious thanks to a
growing number of programs that encourage local farmers to sell their crops
directly to schools.

The arrangements mean fresher meals for students, and they're also heaping
new profits on farmers' plates.

"I care about what I eat, so I'm happy the school is doing what it can to
help make meals healthier," said Joe Levering, a sophomore at Clark
University who was surprised that the carrots he had for lunch on Thursday
came from a Lunenberg farm, just about 25 miles away from this campus near
downtown Worcester.

"And it's a great idea to support local farms so they could stay in
business," he said.

Clark is one of about a dozen colleges in the state participating in the
Massachusetts Farm to School Project, a three-year-old program that helps
eliminate the middleman in food distribution by having more farmers bring
their fruits, vegetables and dairy products straight to campuses.

The arrangements reaped more than $415,000 for about 90 Massachusetts
farmers last year.

Across the country, more than 200 colleges and 1,000 public school
districts in 35 states have similar programs, said Marion Kalb, director of
National Farm to School Program, based in Santa Fe, N.M.

The national program was launched in 2000 after schools in California and
Florida started buying food directly from farmers. It now helps foster new
programs with marketing, legal assistance and purchasing arrangements.

The Massachusetts Farm to School Program was started by Kelly Erwin, who
got the idea while working for the state agriculture department as a
marketing specialist.

She attended a school food service trade show in 2002, where she tasted
"the worst food you've ever had in your life," and decided to make a push
for getting fresher ingredients into school kitchens.

After losing her job to state budget cuts, Erwin formed the Massachusetts
Farm to School Project with about $20,000 from MassDevelopment, the state's
finance and development authority, and Project Bread, a Boston-based
anti-hunger organization.

In the past three years, the program has grown to include about 75 public
school districts and a dozen colleges across the state. Fifty farms are
delivering their produce directly to schools and have partnered with about
40 smaller farmers to distribute their crops for them.

John Culver, MassDevelopment's CEO, said his agency will continue funding
the project so it can encompass more colleges.

"Massachusetts is rich in schools that aren't going anywhere," he said.
"The students consume at least three meals a day on a regular basis, so we
know there's a clear market that could be developed."

At Clark, about 20 percent of the ingredients for student meals come from
locally grown crops during the fall and spring, said Jim Lachance, the
school's executive chef. During the winter, when the dozen farms they get
produce from have fewer crops available, the amount drops to about 5
percent, he said.

"The biggest limitation we have is in the growing season," said Cheryl
Walker, general manager of Clark's dining services.

For Lanni Orchards, the Lunenberg farm responsible for the carrots,
potatoes and onions being cooked at Clark this week, selling directly to
schools has accounted for about 20 percent of its growth during the past two
years. The farm delivers its produce to about 20 grade schools and five
colleges in Massachusetts.

Pat Lanni, who owns the family farm with his cousins, said he's hoping the
new market he's tapped will lead to a new crop of customers who will put a
premium on locally grown food.

If the students are aware that the tasty and healthful food they're eating
at school comes from a nearby farm, they're likely to seek out farmers
markets and local produce when they have to feed themselves after
graduation.

"If we all get them to eat their veggies when their young, I'll have
customers forever," he said.