More pupils eat what neighboring farms grow (Maine)

[jpak]

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=136144&ac=PHnws

Corn-husking was part of the curriculum last week for some students at the Great Salt Bay Community School in Damariscotta.
Early in the morning, seventh-graders shucked piles of fresh corn from a Nobleboro farm. A few hours later, they and their friends enjoyed corn on the cob for lunch in their school cafeterias.

"They were excited about it," said Lisa Mondor, the school's kitchen manager. Students were proud when they saw the steaming results of their efforts being dished up and were eager to eat them. She heard students say: "I shucked that today. That's my corn."

More and more Maine schools are serving locally grown fresh food in school cafeterias as a way to encourage healthful eating. Schools also are using fresh Maine food on lunch menus to educate students about the benefits of supporting local farms and preserving Maine's rural heritage.

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Trayless dining reduces waste, saves energy
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=136139&ac=PHnws

STANDISH — Some things were missing from the dining hall when students returned to Saint Joseph's College this month.

The trays had disappeared. And so had a good deal of the food waste that accompanied them.

In the past, about 16 tons of uneaten food scraped off plates each year went into the waste stream and ultimately was incinerated. Stuart Leckie, general manager of Bon Apptit, the company that runs the dining service, hopes removing the trays will help cut waste in half and save water and electricity used for washing.

The idea: Diners will make their choices more carefully when they can't just load up a tray with everything that catches their fancy. There's still no limit on how much students are allowed to eat, but they'll have to make additional trips if they want more food than they can carry.

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[AlecBGreen]

1. win-win situation

local farmers get a good market, local kids get good food, everybody wins