Colorado Schools Celebrate Local Agriculture with "Colorado Proud School Meal Day"
Students in the St. Vrain Valley and Boulder Valley School Districts recently participated in Colorado Proud School Meal Day, a statewide initiative that emphasizes the importance of nutritious school meals and celebrates local agricultural providers. The event provided unique learning opportunities for students, connecting them directly to their food sources.
Connecting Students to Local Food Systems
At Thunder Valley K-8 in Frederick, students enjoyed a lunch featuring pork from pigs raised at the Career Elevation and Technology Center (CETC) within the St. Vrain Valley School District. The vegetarian option also highlighted locally sourced, fresh ingredients. Theresa Spires, school wellness coordinator for SVVSD, emphasized the goal of connecting children to their food system.
Following lunch, students had the chance to meet farmers from partners like Sprout City Farms, sampling basil and raspberries grown locally. Students from the CETC Agricultural Sciences program also presented animals including goats, rabbits, a turkey, and a horse, giving the elementary students a close-up look at animal husbandry.
Hands-On Agricultural Education
The Agricultural Sciences program, which includes around 180 students and requires participation in FFA, allows high schoolers to share their knowledge with younger students. Maddie Hughes, a senior at Mead High School and FFA participant, highlighted the importance of understanding where food comes from. “It’s so interesting to see exactly where your food comes from,” Hughes stated. “We know exactly what that pig was fed, exactly where it was, the conditions it was in. We know that the kids that are eating it, and ourselves, are getting fed the best food they could possibly have.”
Boulder Valley Celebrates with Tamales and Local Sourcing
In Boulder, students at Casey Middle School celebrated Colorado Proud School Meal Day by enjoying tamales from Tamales by La Casita, a food partner of the Boulder Valley School District. Students had the opportunity to speak with Paula Sandoval, former Colorado state Senator and the woman behind the tamales.
Sandoval, who has been supplying tamales to BVSD schools for approximately 10 years, emphasized her desire to showcase the state's agricultural possibilities to students. The event also featured a map illustrating the diverse local sources of BVSD's food, including carrots, apples, chicken, and sandwich buns from various regions across Colorado. Miriam Holleb, farm to school specialist for BVSD, expressed the importance of appreciating the work of kitchen staff and the quality of school lunches.
