New England Grown.com Interview

The Local Food Dude, New England Grown
Back when I went to school, the lunch ladies were quiet, older women in hair nets who heated frozen meals in huge steam trays and served them up to students who complained loudly about the unchanging rotation of soggy breaded chicken, pizza, hot dogs, and hamburgers. Some school cafeterias may not have changed much since those days, but the schools in Bloomfield, Connecticut have a decidedly different feel. For one thing, the lunchtime offerings might include roasted root vegetables from local farms or fresh fruit straight from the tree. And, instead of the lunch ladies, they have Timothy Cipriano: The Local Food Dude.



As part of the Connecticut Farms-to-Schools program, Tim has brought farm-fresh food into the school system. His approach to convincing students that local and fresh vegetables are better than steam-tray hotdogs has been one of deep education. In his former position at the Dodd Middle School, Tim incorporated his food into the curriculum. Students learned to prepare dishes, to do nutritional and cost analysis of recipes, and to “market” new recipes to the school community. And commitment to good eating didn’t stop there – through a grant from the USDA Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program, fruit and vegetable trays were made available to students during after school activities, in homeroom, even in the guidance counselor’s office, a program that continues at Dodd today. Tim has now brought his commitment to local, fresh food to the Bloomfield School system, where he is working with the local 4-H program, the Culinary Arts Department, Vo-Ag Program and the Food Services Department to develop a comprehensive food program.

Tim has shown that kids will eat vegetables and fruit – if they are prepared in ways that bright and appealing. Green beans from the can and watery squash are a no-go, but glazed carrots, strawberry soup, Italian vegetable soup, and raspberry coleslaw get great reviews for both nutrition and taste.

We asked Tim a few questions:

How did students respond to your first attempts to replace the usual cafeteria food with locally grown, fresh fruits and vegetables?
Both school communities I worked in were also farming communities at one time, more recently they are now bedroom communities. The students were perplexed, but the parents were very happy that I was incorporating locally grown products into their students’ lunches.

You’ve involved students in learning about their food, in addition to offering them better choices. To what extent do you believe that this involvement accounts for the success of your program?
Getting the students involved with more than just eating is huge. The students see me as Chef Tim, a cool bald guy in school rather than a “Lunch Lady”. The students that I worked with were more receptive to try new foods.

Do you work with teachers to integrate your programs into what students are learning in their science classes? Do the teachers support your work?
Teachers definitely support the program. I am currently working on tying the Vo-Ag and Culinary Arts departments together to work with the food service in my high school.

How do parents convince their children to eat real food, rather than junk and fast food?
I feel the best way is to have a family meal and incorporate fun foods into the meal; instead of having baked squash, try Squapple, Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple Crisp with a crunchy cornflake topping. Let the kids go shopping with you; let them choose which fruits and vegetables they want to try.

How do parents get their schools to support them in their efforts to improve their children’s diets?
Get the facts, go to the Board of Education meetings and speak up. Call the food service director and ask what can be done to get a program in place. Volunteer to do some of the legwork to get the program up and running.

Do you think a program like yours could work in every school district, or does your area have unusual resources that allow for a progressive program?
It could definitely work in every district in the country, all that is needed is a group of dedicated individuals who want it to happen.

Do you think poor, city schools could afford to develop a program like yours?
Yes, where there’s a will there’s a way!

Does your food cost significantly more than most school lunches?
$.14 for a local apple vs. $.22 for a Washington State Apple. Local apple traveled 10 miles and was picked that morning, WA apple traveled 1600 miles and was picked weeks ago.

How many programs like yours do you know of in the U.S.?
There are many farm-to-school programs happening around the country. CT alone has a large number of participating districts, see www.ctgrown.gov, then look for the Farm-to-School link for more information.

What role do local farms play in improving children’s diets?
The support of local farms is vital for this program to function, without their help and support we would not be able to operate.

What are the most popular dishes in your schools?
Steamed Calaloo, Collard Greens, Squapple, Warm Cinnamon Apples, Glazed Carrots & Swiss Chard, Roasted Beets.

Learn more about The Local Food Dude at his website.

Once you’ve done reading, start talking: to the food services director at the local school, to other parents, to the principal, to local farmers. The more people who become excited about the possibility of healthy, locally-grown school lunches, the better the chance of changing the school lunch program. Good luck!