Fresh and local foods gaining traction in school cafeterias

Lunch trays filled with grayish green beans, mystery meat and a pasty scoop of mashed potatoes will be relegated to history if UC Cooperative Extension has anything to do with it. At the UCCE office in Stanislaus County yesterday, Jeri Ohmart of the UC Agriculture Sustainability Institute spoke to about 30 school food managers about how to get more fresh fruit, vegetables and other healthy fare into school cafeterias, reported John Holland in the Modesto Bee.

Ohmart also displayed a food waste composter and showed how the container, along with a large population of red worms, break the food waste down into rich, garden-ready compost.

The event featured Billy Reid, the director of nutrition services at Salida Union School District. The school is already providing students food delivered by San Joaquin Valley farmers.

"We have (employees) standing at the end of the lunch line, and all they do is cut fruit," Reid said. "The kids come through and grab whatever the fruit is."

Reid has been widely recognized for his work on school food, including a 2011 award presented by first lady Michelle Obama at the White House. To source high-quality food, Reid uses the online service Ag Link, which matches farmers with schools seeking local food.

One time, Reid bought cantaloupes for 50 cents apiece via Ag Link, Holland reported.

"The day before I served them, they were still in the field," he said. "This is amazing stuff."