Local Foods Return to Cafs!
It’s back! A very popular and tasty project will be reintroduced at all Lakehead Public Schools Secondary Schools cafeterias this Fall. The “Farm to Caf” initiative, introduced to students during the 2013-2014 school year, provides an opportunity for students to experience local foods which are prepared and served in the school cafeterias by cafeteria staff and students.
“Farm to Caf was hugely popular last year with students and staff at the four secondary schools,” says Leslie Hynnes, Education Officer at Lakehead Public Schools. “The feedback that we received indicated that the students felt that this was a valuable program and that it should return this year. We are pleased to work with our community partner Roots to Harvest to continue to provide this program. “
Farm to Caf Thunder Bay will occur 10 times at each Lakehead Public Schools secondary school between September, 2014 and June 2015. The project will introduce ten different local meals, served to each school. All of the main ingredients including the meat and vegetables have been procured locally, or, when not locally available, from Ontario. In this current September meal, the onions, potatoes and carrots were all grown at the high schools themselves in the high school gardens.
First Meal Menu
Hamburger – local meat, onions
Potato Wedges – School grown and Ontario potatoes
Coleslaw – local cabbage and school grown carrots
Second Meal Menu
Wildrice casserole with local pork
Spinach salad (or soup substitute if spinach not available)
All meals will be $5.
“Building on the successes of last year, the student feedback and the taste tests we did, the new menu has been developed with attention to what’s available locally and in Ontario, what can be processed and stored ahead of time, and what is appealing to students,” says Erin Beagle, Roots to Harvest Co-ordinator. “The excitement in the schools on Farm to Caf days in a huge win for local flavors in Thunder Bay.”
Farm to Caf Dates:
September 24
Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate and Vocational Institute
Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute
September 25
Hammarskjold High School
Superior Collegiate and Vocational Institute