Rockingham Schools Celebrate Farm To School Week
By MEGAN WILLIAMS
Daily News-Record 10/5/18
PENN LAIRD — Sourcing local food for lunches and breakfasts is a challenge for Rockingham County Public Schools.
With 23 schools spread out over 853 square miles, distributing local food is just not feasible, and farms aren’t likely to deliver to every division school either, said Gerald Lehman, RCPS food services director.
“We find it very challenging to find student- friendly items grown or produced locally and that offer feasible distribution,” Lehman said. It’s something he can attest to firsthand. On Tuesday, Lehman helped deliver local turkeys to schools as part of Farm to School week and spent his entire day driving and dropping off the poultry — and he only got to 12 schools.
However, the school division does get locally sourced apples from Showalter’s Orchard and Greenhouse in Timberville delivered to all schools during the fall.
While the school division doesn’t get a lot of locally sourced food on a large scale, officials made sure to celebrate Farm to School week.
On Thursday, Lehman was joined by Seth Benton and Tom Moore from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at Peak View Elementary School for a locally sourced lunch, which included Showalter’s apples. “We work with all the schools in Virginia and oversee the USDA program,” Benton said. “We manage the food coming into the school.” Moore said that the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services also works with the Department of Defense on a program that provides funding for schools and other institutions to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.
Three schools in Rockingham County benefit from the program and receive money to buy fresh produce, Lehman said.
In addition to the visit from Benton and Moore, schools have been participating in Farm to School week by decorating their classrooms and cafeterias, learning about the agriculture industry, and the FFA chapters at the high schools and middle schools have been helping with meal preparation and serving.
“The kids have been really excited, especially getting to dress like a farmer,” said Peak View Principal Marcy Williams, adding that teachers have been encouraged to discuss farming and sourcing food locally with their classes.