‘Tis the season to celebrate school nutrition! Considered National Farm to School Month, October also includes Virginia Farm to School Week, Virginia’s annual ‘Crunch Heard ‘Round the Commonwealth’, and National School Lunch Week. To honor these many different ‘holidays’, Fauquier County School Nutrition and Fauquier Reaches for Excellence in School Health (FRESH) have partnered over the past several weeks to bring added excitement and engagement to cafeterias across the county.
To kick things off, students from Southeastern Alternative School (SAS) helped FRESH and the School Nutrition team shuck corn. A terrific way to teach life skills (and patience!) while soliciting plenty of laughs. Just days later, students at each of the county’s middle and high schools enjoyed steamed corn on the cob alongside chicken from Fauquier High School alumni Jesse Straight’s Whiffletree Farm. School Nutrition team members prepared the chicken in a rich barbeque sauce, using a recipe developed by FRESH.
Next up, FRESH sourced over 11,000 apples from Thornton River Orchard, ensuring every student could participate in Virginia’s ‘Crunch Heard ‘Round the Commonwealth.’ This annual event highlights local farms and Fall’s favorite fruit by encouraging students to simultaneously take a bite out of an apple during lunch time. Cafeterias did an outstanding job setting up beautiful displays to encourage students to enjoy this nutritious addition to their meal!
Perhaps the greatest example of ‘Farm to School’, Mary Walter (MWES) principal Alex O’Dell’s school-grown pumpkins were used to make pumpkin bread from scratch. FRESH staff prepared and served this special treat to MWES students during school breakfast.
Finally, FRESH whipped up homemade Pico De Gallo and delivered it to all middle and high schools as part of the state’s ‘Level Up’ National School Lunch Week campaign. The pico was a wonderful way to turn up the flavor content of cafeteria favorites - tacos and quesadillas!
FRESH and the School Nutrition team will continue to work together throughout the school year to increase delicious and nutritious food choices for Fauquier students. For more information about the partnership between both entities, check out the Virginia Department of Education’s video, entitled, “Building Farm to School Programs through Partnership - Fauquier County.”
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