This week, Senator Patrick Leahy visited Crossett Brook Middle School in Duxbury to celebrate the district (and the state’s) thriving Farm to School program. Leahy has been a champion for bringing fresh, nutritious foods to Vermont’s students.
Earlier this year, Senator Leahy announced the U. S. Department of Agriculture had awarded $395,201 to the Vermont Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT) to support Farm to School initiatives across the state, including our farm to school programs right here in The Valley.
Our district schools are doing a commendable job bringing fresh, healthy local foods to their students to ensure they are well-fed and ready to learn. The food service programs also support local farmers, which is a win-win for our communities. We reduce our collective carbon footprints when our food comes from our neighbors.
Middle and high school students spoke during Leahy’s visit about the importance of eating healthy and knowing where our food comes from. Students presented agriculture/food projects they’ve been working on, such as a cooking club (students told me stovetop pizza and cookies were their favorite things they’d made so far), the Junior Iron Chef team, which provided recipes from their competitions, and students who maintain the school gardens and tend to Crossett Brook’s 17 chickens, which could be seen clucking around by the podium as Senator Leahy spoke.
We should be proud of the work our local schools, students, farmers and other partners are doing to ensure all students have access to fresh, healthy food.
-ENF
