Getting kids to eat more vegetables can be a fraught endeavor. But the nutrition team at Greeley-Evans School District 6 in Weld County found a solution: When Colorado-grown produce is an option in the schools’ cafeteria lunches, students flock to the salad bar.
“Our kitchen staff will share with us that when it is local broccoli or it’s hydroponically grown lettuce, students just gravitate to it more,” said Kara Sample, assistant director of nutrition services for the district.
Thanks to a federal initiative known as the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program , or LFS, Greeley-Evans School District 6 has been able to increase its local food offerings in recent years. LFS provided the district with more than $238,000 to spend on local food. Staff used those funds to purchase a wide array of Colorado-grown produce — including chili peppers, onions, tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, apples, peaches and pears — along with locally sourced beef and bison…