The district passed out more than 1,300 boxes of produce in May to school community members as part of the national Farm to School Network. Each box included 20 pounds of produce including potatoes, apples, carrots, celery, strawberries and cucumbers.
Farm to School encourages schools to prepare and place Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables and legumes on the menu while providing districts with resources to involve the community. Since joining the program this year, which has a network of 42,587 schools, the district has partnered with more than 80 Michigan-based farms to create a more local school lunch menu.
“We will always continue to support the local farmers,” said Food Service Director Mimi Mahaney. “We live and go to school in farmland; that’s what Caledonia is about: supporting the community.”
During a traditional school year, Caledonia food service has also done a farmers’ week menu they call “Farm to School Table,” which features fresh asparagus, local milk, blueberry cobbler, applesauce and carrots.
