Colorado schools looking to farmers for lunches

Colorado Proud School Meal Day is September 30th, 2015

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

With the new school year only in its second week, the Colorado Department of Agriculture is putting an emphasis on healthy and local products as part of the Colorado Proud School Meal Day which is scheduled for Wednesday, September 30^th, 2015.

The event encourages schools across the state to use products grown by Colorado farmers in school meals, celebrate agriculture and introduce students to healthy eating.

Approximately 100,000 students and 600 schools across the state will take part – a healthy increase from last year.

“Approximately 80,000 students participated last year, so I’m really excited to see how this event has grown,” said Shaina Knight, Business Development Specialist for the Colorado Department of Agriculture in a release. “Not only does this celebration encourage conversations with students about food and agriculture, but it also exposes them to new tastes and a wide variety of local products.”

Knight said events like Colorado Proud School Meal Day are a new and exciting way of introducing students to agriculture and creating a bond with the community.

“Building farm to school efforts takes hard work from all parties involved, but it is amazing to see people willing to take the steps needed for the benefit of our economy and youth,” Knight said in a release. “This day encompasses the very nature of bringing community together with agriculture.”

Colorado is home to 37,000 farms that span across 31 million acres of land and state agribusinesses keep more than 170,000 people employed.