School Lunch

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Permalink Reply by Marita Topmiller on May 7, 2009 at 6:43pm

Yes, we are. Most of Indiana croplands are devoted to large corporations that grow crops
for export and feed stock. We have miles and miles of soy beans for example. Because
of the monoculture type of farming we do and the frequency with which we produce on
each parcel and the type of chemical enrichments we use (fertilizers), our land has some
small percentage of the life force in it that was there a century ago.

I love the organic, family farm model. It will never take over, but diversity should be the
name of the game.

As Chris said, it is not essential that everyone grow their own food. But as
Antoine St Exupery wrote in "The Little Prince", "What is essential is invisible to the eye."

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Permalink Reply by Ernest Rando on May 7, 2009 at 4:35pm

First one needs to examine external costs (pollution created from shipping, chemical additives and such) when actually looking at the difference between local and not local
Two cheaper does not always equal cheaper
Three local does not always equal better
Four sometimes bringing localness into the awareness is a good things to teach kids so that they begin to learn the connection they have with the community at large and the impact that their decisions make.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Wilcher on May 7, 2009 at 8:36pm

It has been my experience that the school kitchens of today have no stoves. School kitchens are not designed to cook food. I was involved in the remodel of a Wayne Township school a few years ago and the new kitchen was designed to just warm up the "heat and eat" food. The Washington township school where my kids go has no stove either. We had to use the microwave to heat up water. So, the discussion about using locally grown foods in our schools would certainly have to address how it is going to be prepared. Our school serves food on plastic trays that are washed and reused, but they do not use metal forks. They use plastic sporks. I am guessing that the school goes through over 500 plastic sporks everyday and they end up in the landfill. I have suggested that the PTO buy "real" sporks that can be reused, but the school administration seen it as a waste of money suggesting they would end up being thrown away. One other thing I found shocking was that schools consider nacho's and cheese a meal. And remember when they found the tainted milk products from China was being used to make the nacho cheese? - very scary.

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Permalink Reply by Staraya McKinstry on May 8, 2009 at 9:42am

I think this is a much needed movement for ALL schools! There are plenty of a studies out there that say that healthy food goes hand in hand with a childs learning ability and attention span. The movie Fast Food Nation shows that "at risk" students who were taken to a school that served organic, pesticide free, all natural food through out the day ended up eliminating all signs of "at risk" activities.
By turning around children's lunches and allowing them to take more responsibility on what they are eating and how it effects them directly, a lot of health problems down the road can be avoided, which goes hand in hand with expensive health care. Children love to get dirty and experience new things, I think allowing children to create their own garden that grows sustainable, healthy vegetables, is a great skill and very therapeutic for children.It allows them to get in touch with nature and become more environmentally conscious because they actually watch what the earth will provide for them if they take the time to tend to it. In the long run this will allow these children to become more aware of their actions on the earth and hopefully treat their bodies and their environment with better care!

As for the short growing season, You can grow a very long time here in Indiana. The right plants need to be planted at the right time for full efficiency. I think the short season is a bad excuse for not going along with this idea. Indoor greenhouses are one way to solve this problem, and though they can be expensive, schools could have small ones so that the experience is the main lesson during the colder months. Once summer hits the production of food could return..........

If you need any help with this I would be more than happy to assist. Don't hesitate to contact me staram82@hotmail.com

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Permalink Reply by Nancy Lee on May 8, 2009 at 10:42am

Neal, this is a wonderful idea. Is the IMA backing this with marketing and/or funding? If so, good for them for reaching out to the local community.

I don't have a kid in the school system any more but still I do not like the direction nutrition is headed in the Midwest. Changing kids (and therefore, parents) opinions of the types of foods they can eat and empowering them to take charge of their nutrition is a very important and noble challenge.

I'm interested in seeing how this project develops. If you have volunteer opportunities, please post them.

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Permalink Reply by Bill Price on May 8, 2009 at 12:11pm

I think this is great and far more valuable to the health , vitality , and equipping of the child for life . The schools should be encouraged in every way to "make it happen" to ensure healthier foods as suggested are available as much of the year as possible . Reducing vending machines and fast food items need to be done . What price tag can be placed on the child's health ?
Another program by an outstanding Doctor and Yale Scientist - Dr. David Katz - is "Nutrition Detectives" - a curriculum designed to teach elementary children about picking better/healthier foods . It is a fun and effective way to start improving their health . The result is likely to be fewer sick days , less missed schools , better behavior , fewer doctor visits , etc. . What price tag can be put on those things ? Bill Price , (317) 773-0347 .

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Permalink Reply by MaryAnn Ruegger on May 11, 2009 at 11:07am

How can I learn more about the IMA group and become involved in its efforts? This keys into a major concern of mine, which is the almost total lack of green space around many IPS schools, and the limited access that students have to what green space does exist, especially in the cooler months. Would the students go to green areas at the IMA, or perhaps to Indy Parks, to garden? I have had children in both The Orchard School and IPS, and am quite familiar with both the gardening/fresh food model which is an important part of Orchard's curriculum and with the shocking quality and environmental problems of IPS lunches. Are any of the Orchard staff helping on the IMA committee? Is anyone on the IMA committee attending the summer classes listed on the Edible Schoolyard website? Some IPS schools are making nice progress on the gardening side (CFI at School 84), but the school lunch issues seemed to be untouchable. I would love to see what could be done to start changing that. Thanks for leading the charge.

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Permalink Reply by Tara Bushong on July 7, 2009 at 11:09am

Neal, my name is Tara and I have just joined Smaller Indiana in hopes to meet individuals and learn more about what efforts have been made toward incorporating the "Edible Schoolyard" model into Indiana schools and communities. I have been researching this model and how others around the country are incorporating this into their schools/communites. I have been a Pharmaceutical sales rep for 12 years, but recently lost my position with my company due to economic/necessary corporate restructuring. Rather than rush right back into the same industry, I have decided to take this opportunity to spend with my family and also to think "out of the box" to see if I might be able to incorporate both my passion and skills in another direction. So basically, I have more time to make a different difference. Do you know if there are specific groups or individuals who are working to or have started an edible schoolyard in IN? If so, how is the process going, and what steps need to be taken. I would love to help in this effort. I live in Hamilton County and look around at all of the land that surrounds the schools that could serve as this learning space, as well as all of the local farmers that could benefit from schools purchasing their foods. Any tips to point me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated!

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