Delaware News

Lieutenant Governor Denn and Secretary Kee mark National School Lunch Week and Farm to School Month

Department of Agriculture | Department of Education | Former Lt. Governor Matt Denn (2009-2014) | News | Office of the Lieutenant Governor | Date Posted: Wednesday, October 17, 2012



Photos available for media use on Flickr.

 

SMYRNA – To mark National School Lunch Week and Farm to School Month, Lieutenant Governor Matt Denn and Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee joined students, teachersSchool Lunch and administrators at Sunnyside Elementary School in Smyrna for lunch Wednesday.

Denn and Kee toured the school’s cafeteria and kitchen with Smyrna School District Child Nutrition Supervisor Melissa Sayers, learning how schools create healthy, nutrition-packed meals for hundreds of students while keeping waste to a minimum and how school lunches have evolved. They then sat down to a lunch with Sunnyside students, featuring made-to-order sandwiches, a selection of salads, homemade vegetable soup, baby carrots and dip, fresh apple slices, apple cider and red potato & green bean salad.

“Our schools do a terrific job making delicious lunches that give our children fuel for their minds and bodies,” said Lieutenant Governor Denn.

National School Lunch Week, running from Oct. 15 to 19, recognizes the work that nutrition professionals do to make meals great for their students. All Delaware public school districts participate in the state’s Farm to School Program, a collaborative initiative by the Farm to School Advisory Board to get local foods into schools, increasing healthy eating opportunities and students’ awareness of agriculture.

“There is no better source of healthy food than our local Delaware farms,” said Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee. “More growers are becoming interested in having their produce served in our schools, and from what we’ve seen today, the kids love it.”

“We’re pleased to help highlight the wonderful work being done in our schools and across the state to make lunch an exciting part of the school day,” said Smyrna School District Child Nutrition Supervisor Melissa Sayers. “Each time a child tries a piece of broccoli or a forkful of green beans, it’s a victory for nutrition and for our families.”

The state’s Farm to School Advisory Board, which supports local food purchases by Delaware’s public school districts, includes representatives from school districts, farmers, parents, the Department of Education, Nemours Health and Prevention Services, the University of Delaware, Delaware State University and Master Gardeners.

“Putting together a healthy school lunch menu is a complicated job, balancing nutrition, cost and timing,” said Linda Wolfe, Director of School Support Services for the Delaware Department of Education. “Delaware’s child nutrition supervisors do a wonderful job, and their work is a testament to how school lunches have modernized and focused on health.”

 

Photos available for media use on Flickr.

Contact:
Dan Shortridge
Chief of Community Relations
Delaware Department of Agriculture
(302) 698-4520

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Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

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Lieutenant Governor Denn and Secretary Kee mark National School Lunch Week and Farm to School Month

Department of Agriculture | Department of Education | Former Lt. Governor Matt Denn (2009-2014) | News | Office of the Lieutenant Governor | Date Posted: Wednesday, October 17, 2012



Photos available for media use on Flickr.

 

SMYRNA – To mark National School Lunch Week and Farm to School Month, Lieutenant Governor Matt Denn and Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee joined students, teachersSchool Lunch and administrators at Sunnyside Elementary School in Smyrna for lunch Wednesday.

Denn and Kee toured the school’s cafeteria and kitchen with Smyrna School District Child Nutrition Supervisor Melissa Sayers, learning how schools create healthy, nutrition-packed meals for hundreds of students while keeping waste to a minimum and how school lunches have evolved. They then sat down to a lunch with Sunnyside students, featuring made-to-order sandwiches, a selection of salads, homemade vegetable soup, baby carrots and dip, fresh apple slices, apple cider and red potato & green bean salad.

“Our schools do a terrific job making delicious lunches that give our children fuel for their minds and bodies,” said Lieutenant Governor Denn.

National School Lunch Week, running from Oct. 15 to 19, recognizes the work that nutrition professionals do to make meals great for their students. All Delaware public school districts participate in the state’s Farm to School Program, a collaborative initiative by the Farm to School Advisory Board to get local foods into schools, increasing healthy eating opportunities and students’ awareness of agriculture.

“There is no better source of healthy food than our local Delaware farms,” said Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee. “More growers are becoming interested in having their produce served in our schools, and from what we’ve seen today, the kids love it.”

“We’re pleased to help highlight the wonderful work being done in our schools and across the state to make lunch an exciting part of the school day,” said Smyrna School District Child Nutrition Supervisor Melissa Sayers. “Each time a child tries a piece of broccoli or a forkful of green beans, it’s a victory for nutrition and for our families.”

The state’s Farm to School Advisory Board, which supports local food purchases by Delaware’s public school districts, includes representatives from school districts, farmers, parents, the Department of Education, Nemours Health and Prevention Services, the University of Delaware, Delaware State University and Master Gardeners.

“Putting together a healthy school lunch menu is a complicated job, balancing nutrition, cost and timing,” said Linda Wolfe, Director of School Support Services for the Delaware Department of Education. “Delaware’s child nutrition supervisors do a wonderful job, and their work is a testament to how school lunches have modernized and focused on health.”

 

Photos available for media use on Flickr.

Contact:
Dan Shortridge
Chief of Community Relations
Delaware Department of Agriculture
(302) 698-4520

image_printPrint


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.