Local Food on Every School Lunch Plate
Our vision for local food on every plate in Blaine County School District includes centering kids in decisions about the food systems and school systems to which they belong. This starts with deeply listening to what students are saying and paying attention to what they are, or aren’t, eating.
By the time Future Roots started our Farm-to-School Action Planning process, we had already been measuring food waste in local cafeterias for several years. As a part of our compost programs, students sort their lunchtime trash from food scraps, which we measure and track. Even though students usually have choices within each category, the USDA requires that they choose three of the five categories at lunchtime: milk, protein, grain, fruit or vegetable. Carrots may go on the tray, but they don’t fuel growing minds if they don’t get eaten.
Salad bar at The Carey School
In imagining the future of farm-to-school, we want to know what ingredients students will be the most eager to enjoy. To get those answers, our community engagement process includes:
Bilingual Farm-to-School Workshops for parents, students, and community members
Student Listening Sessions at lunchtime, with students K-12
An anonymous bilingual Parent Survey for BCSD families to share their experiences
We believe students deserve to know where their school food really comes from, and see themselves as a part of the larger local, national, and global food systems around them.
What’s on Your Lunch Tray?
Here are some questions that go beyond beyond, “How was lunch?” or “What did you eat today?” Use these to spark ycuriosity about school food in your family and gain more insight into what your kids might be eating at school.
For younger students
What was the most colorful food on your plate today? What color was it?
What was the best bite of your whole day?
Do you think any food you ate today grew in the soil? What was it?
For older kids
If you were the school principal for a day, what would you change about lunch time?
What did you eat today that made your body and brain feel strong?
If your [carrot, sandwich, apple] could talk, what story would it tell you about how it traveled to your plate?
Get Involved
Blaine County's school district is ready to bring more local food into cafeterias — and they're listening. Your voice, and your kids', can shape what's on the lunch tray. Sign up for our newsletter and get action steps and event details sent straight to your inbox, so you can speak up when it counts.school district is open and engaged on getting more local food into cafeterias.
Example lunch menu at Bellevue Elementary