Salem Public Schools Hosts DESE Farm-to-School, Summer Food Service Program Visit July 17
Event to showcase innovative farm-to-school initiatives and summer food service program
SALEM (July 3, 2024) – Salem Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services will host a site visit Wednesday, July 17 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Salem High School Instructional Materials Center (IMC) to showcase the district’s innovative farm-to-school programs, where students are involved from seedling to harvest, and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
This summer, SPS Food and Nutrition Services, led by Assistant Director Michaela Short, will serve breakfast and lunch to the 1,175 students enrolled in summer programming, and will provide breakfast, lunch and dinner to any child ages 0-18 at eight open sites throughout the city.
Attendees will be taken on a student-led garden tour showcasing the produce that will be used in school meals. Throughout the school year, SHS students enrolled in the gardening course cultivate varieties of produce. These students begin the growing process by planting seedlings in grow racks at SHS.
As the school year progresses, students participate in the maintenance and harvest of school garden crops. Once harvested, the produce is then utilized in Salem’s school nutrition program or donated to the food pantry.
Attendees can view lunch service at the SHS open Summer Food Service Program site, where school garden produce will be featured in the meal.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to walk to the Horace Mann Laboratory School (HMLS) where participants can observe lunch service and visit the HMLS raised bed garden.
The event will conclude with a vendor and farm-to-school partner lunch from 1:00- 2:00 p.m. at the SHS cafeteria, where local partners and vendors will discuss their contributions and partnership with Salem Public Schools.
Attendees will enjoy a farm-to-school-centered lunch with school nutrition professionals from other states and will sample farm-to-school menu items. Representatives from various organizations will be on hand, including:
- New Entry Sustainable Farming Project: Allison J. Arnold: Allison.Arnold@tufts.edu
- HomeGrown: Matt Buchanan: mbuchanan@salemk12.org
- North Coast Seafoods: Andrew Wilkinson: awilkinson@northcoastseafoods.com
- Change is Simple: Janelle Rolke: jrolke@salem.com
- UMass Extension: Jeanne Baranec
- Salem Public Schools: Taylor MacDonald: tmacdonald@salemk12.org
- Teachers & Students: Kristin Ciarmataro: kciarmataro@salemk12.org
- Essex Tech: Paul Crofts: pcrofts@essextech.net
- Root: Sam Hunt: shunt@rootns.org
- City Hall: Kerry Murphy: kmurphy@salem.com
- Food Policy Council: Kerry Murphy: kmurphy@salem.com
- Waste Reduction Coordinator: Janelle Rolke: jrolke@salem.com
- Project Bread:
- Karyn Novakowski: karyn_novakowski@projectbread.org
- Chloe Miller: chloe_miller@projectbread.org
For more information, contact Michaela Short, Assistant Director of Food and Nutrition Services at SPS, at mshort@salemk12.org.
About Salem Public Schools
Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Our leaders and our teachers are all passionate about education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement with equity and social-emotional needs as the lens we view all of our work through. We respect and value the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our students and their families, and have a strong commitment to the Salem community. Salem Public Schools staff serve all of our students, regardless of ability or language. Salem Public Schools enrolls approximately 4,000 students across its eleven schools.
