Farm Fresh Food in School Lunches

The Live Healthy Nevada County Food and Nutrition Action Committee is trying its best to introduce healthy, fresh foods to area schools. “We are very keen to get programs implemented throughout Nevada County,” said Aimee Retzler.

Live Healthy’s pilot program is with Hennessy Elementary in Grass Valley. By partnering with Riverhill Farm, the program is finding success with nutrition education, bringing more fruits and vegetables into the diet, and bringing the farm to school. Recently the summer school class took a fieldtrip to Riverhill. “It’s fantastic hands-on learning,” said Retzler. Children went from plot to plot, learning about how food is planted and grows. As they learned, they harvested, and at the end of the tour, they made a huge salad. So excited about the food they had helped pick, the class chose to eat it instead of the school lunches that had been packed.

The Mess Hall - School Lunches and Privatization

A recent article in the Washington Post by Jane Black brought up several issues pertaining to school lunches (quality vs. affordability, for one). A blogger, Tom Philpott, over at the ever eco-conscious site Grist posted a rather ill-informed response. This in turn brought a flurry of critiques from readers and other bloggers.

The online dialogue created here is a good example of how one piece of journalism can inspire debate and conversation among concerned readers.