Students dine on N.D. fare in public schools

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John M. Steiner / The Sun Shelley Mack, food service director and dietitian for Jamestown Public Schools sits next to a salad bar Tuesday at the middle school. Mack purchases foods grown in state, saying it’s good for students and the economy.

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Tuesday marked the ninth annual Pride of Dakota School Lunch Day at North Dakota schools, when more than 55,000 students from 213 schools across the state dined on food from North Dakota.

For Jamestown’s public schools, in-state menu options for students are a far more common occurrence.

Currently 25 percent of the schools’ lunch menu is comprised of food produced in state, said Shelley Mack, food service director and dietitian for Jamestown Public Schools.

Locally grown produce is also offered on salad bars in the Jamestown middle and high schools from August through October, when the growing season allows, Mack said.

“Those are fantastic numbers,” said Chuck Fleming, business development director for the North Dakota Department of Agriculture. “I knew they were more active than other places but I had no idea they had that aggressive of a program.”

Currently the average meal travels 1,500 miles before it reaches a plate, Fleming said. By encouraging local foods at schools, Mack is keeping North Dakota dollars in state and bringing awareness of the state’s food production capabilities, he said.

“Knowing where your food comes from in this day and age is increasingly important,” Fleming said.

For Mack, helping the economy is only half of the effort. She said making sure that students receive proper nutrition is the other half.

“To get our kids back in shape we have to increase the physical activities and decrease the fatty foods,” Mack said.

Locally bought produce contains more nutrients than frozen produce, said Mack. She also noticed an increase in consumption when the greens are fresh. Mack plans to keep it that way.

“You do see a difference and you don’t want to spend all that time and see it thrown away,” Mack said.

Feeding students in Jamestown Public Schools is a large task. In February alone, 42,451 meals were served. The price the Jamestown Public School district paid for food in February was $53,000. That cost is lower from August to October because produce grown in the immediate area costs the district less.

“I could go buy cheaper but if it tastes good and the kids like them I will spend a little more,” she said.

The North Dakota Department of Agriculture has been working on bringing local foods to schools for years, Fleming said.

A school garden project currently has 20 schools in North Dakota where students learn about agriculture by planting and harvesting the food, he said. Some of that food will eventually make it to the garden school’s cafeteria.

Jamestown was one of 17 communities that participated in a Department of Agriculture survey to gauge interest the consumption of local food. Surveys were distributed last October to restaurants, grocery stores and schools and other institutions.

Results from the survey show that:

* Jamestown College offers no local items and would require a $5 million liability insurance option to do so.

* St. John’s Academy serves between 4 and 24 percent local food and has a desire to increase.

* Only one in eight of area restaurants surveyed uses 4 to 24 percent local foods, one had no desire to go local and the remaining six showed some desire.

Jamestown Public Schools ranked high in the initial survey report and that doesn’t surprise Bob Toso, public schools superintendant.

“It’s a great program. Our board, when Shelley (Mack) has visited with them, they have encouraged her to buy locally, as much as she can,” Toso said.

Toso agrees there are economic benefits and health benefits to serving food produced in North Dakota.

“If you can learn the good eating habits early, it’s going to pay dividends for that individual later in life,” he said.

Sun reporter Ben Rodgers can be reached at 701-952-8455 or by e-mail at brodgers@jamestownsun.com

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