Home Grown School Lunch Week makes connections
Jean Caspers-Simmet
Date Modified: 10/22/2009 1:02 PM
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Agri News staff writer
OELWEIN, Iowa -- Eleven northeast Iowa schools served local foods on school lunch menus and participated in nutrition education and fitness activities as part of Home Grown School Lunch Week.
In Oelwein, Homegrown Lunch Week will be observed this week. Parents are invited to eat lunch with their children, said Teri Zuck, an Oelwein life skills teacher who is coordinating the events. Coleslaw served for lunch will be made with cabbage and carrots grown by Oelwein FFA. The FFA, which manages a vegetable plot, will also provide food for a supper the district is hosting for third graders and their parents.
"Our goal is to make school connections with parents, serve a healthy meal with home-grown items from the FFA program and to share physical activities for our third grade parents," Zuck said.
The Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative, which is modeled after a similar event in Maryland, received funding from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship's Farm to School program.
In addition to Oelwein, participating schools were Starmont Community Schools, Arlington; South Winneshiek Schools, Calmar; North Winneshiek School, Burr Oak; Decorah Community Schools, Decorah; Central Community Schools, Elkader; Postville Community Schools, Postville; Clayton Ridge Community Schools, Guttenberg; Turkey Valley Community Schools, Jackson Junction; St. Mary's Immaculate Conception School, Guttenberg; Howard Winneshiek Schools, Cresco; and Valley Community Schools, Elgin.
Information on activities at each of the schools is available at http://www.iowafreshfood.com/site/news-headlines/24.html.
The Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative also brought in Mark Fenton to talk about creating the right environment for healthy lifestyles.
Extension, the Iowa Department of Public Health, Luther College, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation provided support for Fenton's visit.