Local Foods in Local Schools

It’s hard to believe it’s the end of August and kids are heading back to school!  I generally enjoyed school.  I had a lot of friends and played sports, so going to school meant seeing more folks than our country home on a dead-end street provided (although the handful of kids what were on our street had good fun with street tennis and kick-the-can).  Funny enough, most of my current “stress dreams” are about school; I can’t remember my locker combination, I forgot my uniform and it’s game day, I can’t find my classroom ….. many of the same variation.  I don’t remember being that stressed in school (and certainly not about any of those aforementioned things).  Our brain is a strange thing!  I do remember packing my lunch most of time, as school lunch was not my favorite.  And even though our school was in the country, amongst many a field, I certainly do not remember “local” food being on the menu.  (Although we ate lots of veggies at home from our home garden or from the farm up the road).  EXCITING NEWS!  Your kids’ school here in Maine probably does serve some local food and is striving to serve more.  Lewiston. Auburn and Lisbon worked together and received a grant allowing them to process local food in the late summer (when most of Maine’s food is grown) and have it for the entire school year.  Freezing items like green beans, tomatoes and broccoli to be incorporated in hand made meals.  I know there will be some of our green beans on the winter menu and the Lisbon school district will have some of our fresh cherry tomatoes and slicing tomatoes on their salad bar this week!  The kitchen staff are working hard to improve the school’s menu and introduce new foods for kids to try.  It’s a lot of work and new learning.  But they are certain the extra time will improve kids’ moods and learning abilities.  Plus, it promotes healthy eating for the rest of their lives!  Give your school a shout of thank you and positive feedback that what they are doing is best for our community all round.

Buckwheat in the Winter Squash

It’s still dry, but our fields are an oasis.  If you have the time, take a walk around the farm!  The pigs would love a visit and the fields are in their prime.  Crops are green and lush, accented with flowers and fruit.  This year we planted buckwheat in the walking paths between the winter squash.  It’s there mostly to suffocate weeds from coming up, but also to keep the soil in place, cast shade and to provide food for pollinators.  The more pollinators the better for promoting squash growth!! It really is a visual treat for the eyes amongst all the crispy dryness elsewhere.  Like a butterfly kiss.

Hope you are savoring the flavors of summer.  We are about to pass into fall before we know it.

This Week’s Bounty: lettuce mix, kale, summer squash, tomatoes, eggplant, Italian style tropea red onions, sweet onions, garlic, jalapeños, melon