Schools across the state were invited to participate in Colorado Proud School Meal Day. The celebration was established to honor local agriculture and to educate students about healthy eating. Students at Timberline Pk-8 marked the occasion with a special lunch, interactive stations and a presentation by St. Vrain’s Agriscience Program.
“In order to encourage eating habits that will promote a lifetime of optimal health, it is essential to teach children about the importance of eating foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy products. Proper nutrition is critical if our educational programs and our students are going to continue to excel,” states the state of Colorado website.
Colorado Proud Meal Day is celebrated first with a meal that is almost 100% locally sourced. Students at Timberline enjoyed pasture to plate pork carnitas burrito bowl, fruit, vegetables and a choice of milk or water.
The meal included pears and apples sourced from Hotchkiss, CO, field greens and cherry tomatoes from Jack’s Solar Garden in Longmont, baby romaine lettuce from Aurora, and vegetarian green chile from Denver.
Following lunch, students rotated through interactive stations led by community partners. These partners showcased various roles Colorado’s agriculture plays in the lives of students.
Students from the district’s Agriscience Program brought in goats, pigs, rabbits, chickens and a horse. They also gave short lessons with hands-on opportunities.
SVVSD’s Agriscience Program is for students who have a desire to learn the science, business and technology of plant and animal production, according to the district’s website.
“About 50 of our 140 students are interested in going into production agriculture of some sort. This can be anything from entrepreneurship, hobby farming in addition to outside career/income, to plans for full time farming, ranching, or greenhouse/hydroponic food production, food innovation, Ag tech, nutrition and education,” said Theresa Spires, school wellness coordinator.
Annually, SVVSD purchases over $2 million on locally-sourced food. Forty-nine school kitchens serve between 18-22,000 meals each day across the district. Each offering a variety of nutritious meals that highlights new options regularly.
“Local purchasing is an integral component of Nutrition Services’ strategic plan,” Spires said.
The district works with co-ops, aggregators/food hubs, and directly with farmers and manufacturers to purchase Colorado Proud products first.
