‘’California Thursdays” program expands statewide
Schools in the Santa Cruz City School District are the latest to join a growing movement around the state, where students are fed meals made from foods grown or produced locally. Statewide, 58 districts now take part in “California Thursdays.” That includes the largest school district in Monterey County, the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District.
On this St. Patrick’s Day, students at Marina High School have a tasty way of going green. On the lunch menu, they dined on pesto pasta made fresh from Bigoli in Sand City, using ingredients from all over the Central Coast.
“All of our vegetables are locally sourced from farmers in Salinas, Castroville,” said Michele Cremonese, owner of Bigoli. “As far as our main ingredients, flour, eggs, also locally sourced. The eggs are from Santa Cruz and the flour from Northern California.”
It is part of the Center for Ecoliteracy’s “California Thursdays” program that has grown since it started in 2014. It now serves 1.5 million students using locally sourced food. It’s all based on the belief that children find freshly cooked meals made with local ingredients more appetizing.
“When food is traveling all over the world it loses its freshness, it loses its nutrition,” said Jennifer Gerard, director of nutrition services at MPUSD.
The program bridges the gap from farm to table, teaching students exactly where their food comes from.
“I think it’s a really good opportunity that they’re giving us,” one student said. “It makes me feel more comfortable eating it because I know where it’s coming from.”
The meals made more important after a health department report found that more than 30-percent of people in Monterey County could not afford enough food.
“Hunger is one thing but we also have students that are undernourished and even if they are getting food they may be starving for actual nutrition,” Gerard said. “The meals that we serve here are what really counts.”
As every bite is a boost to students, it also boosts the local economy. Economists estimate for every dollar spent on local food, another $1.50 is gained at the local level. MPUSD says it is purchasing of hundreds of pounds of locally caught grenadier fish and more than two tons of grass-fed beef.
“I think the local economy benefits because we’re keeping the money in a smaller circle,” Cremonese said. “We also get to have a better relationship with our producer we get to know them personally.”
Other school systems across the country are looking into the program, including districts in Minnesota and New York.
