Just in time for National School Lunch Week, a truck loaded with fresh peaches rolled straight from a Utah farm to the Canyons District Offices.
Sebasthian Varas, Canyons District’s Nutrition Services Director, said the recent produce shipment was the first in our history. While Canyons annually purchases $300,000 in domestically grown produce, Varas says it was the first time the goods came directly from the farm to the District.
As a result, to the delight of fans of the juicy fall fruit, fresh peaches are featured items this week in CSD lunchrooms. Utah County Farms, which delivered the peaches, also gave CSD a list of fruits and vegetables that could be available in the coming weeks.
“Whenever we can, we get our produce from Utah farms,” Varas says. “It’s really nice to support the farmers.”
The theme of the 2013 National School Lunch Week, celebrated Oct. 14-17, 2013, is “School Lunch Across the USA.” The week will focus on celebrating regional flavors while also giving students a chance to sample foods from across the country.
Students from Midvale to Manhattan will enjoy foods that are commonly served in their cities and towns. Canyons’ Nutrition Services staff created a menu that features Utah-centric food, as well as items well known in South Carolina and New York.
- Monday Utah Day
- Tuesday South Carolina Day
- Wednesday New York Day
- Thursday, Friday Fall Break
Daily menus are easily accessed on a mobile app, which is available for iPhones, iPads and Android phones.
Nationwide, the federally funded National School Lunch Program provides meals to 32 million students every day. The program has been serving the nation’s children for more than 60 years.
