Bozeman schools eat local for Farm to School program Play Video
Posted: Mar 4, 2010 5:19 PM
Updated: Mar 5, 2010 3:25 PM
Once a month Bozeman school children get something for lunch that's grown here in Montana.
This week Hyalite Elementary was holding one of these Farm to School events.
Americorps Vista volunteer Aubree Durfey helps coordinate the Gallatin Valley Farm to School program. She gets students excited for locally grown food by dressing like a vegetable.
"Most of them say they want to eat me, so I do fear for my life sometimes," Durfey joked.
The entire meal isn't local, but the milk and the sauce on the pasta is from Bozeman. The noodles are from Great Falls. The bread is from Billings.
"What this does is allow a great connection between food products and what's being served in our lunchrooms and making that connection of where that comes from," Bozeman Schools Superintendent Kirk Miller said.
When quizzed by a reporter, one second grader knew exactly where his food came from.
"You know where that milk comes from?" the reporter asked.
"Cows," Luke answered.
"You know where the cows are?"
"On a farm."
"You know where the farm is?"
"Next to the highway," Luke said.
Miller said the fresh meals are healthier too. But they don't cost the same.
The higher expense for local food only allows this to be a once a month event, for now. Miller says he hopes federal authorities realize the program could not only be good for the local economy, it connects us with our history as an agricultural state.
As Durfey says, it's important to bring these kids back to their roots.
