Farm-to-school makes a difference in Atlanta schools

ATLANTA — Gone are the days when a greasy burger and a side of fat-laden fries were the cafeteria staples. At many Atlanta Public Schools, students are now digging into sushi, smoothies and flat-bread pizza, thanks to a farm-to-school movement designed to increase variety, freshness and healthy choices.

The farm-to-fork craze that has so captivated the country inspires the farm-to-school program, a 4-year effort that has introduced students in kindergarten through high school to the benefits - and tastes - of locally-grown fruits and vegetables that are dramatically changing cafeteria menus.

“Right now, we’re enjoying apples from Ellijay and tomatoes from Nashville,” said Marilyn Hughes, the district’s director of nutrition since 2003. “They’re just part of the local variety we serve to students.”

Going local is a mandate of a 2010 federal law which led to more districts buying food from their regions. “For us, that region means any state that touches on Georgia,” explained Hughes. “But there are still plenty of local farmers who work with us.”

The program has engendered a number of changes to the menus at the district’s 56 elementary, middle and high schools where 75 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. One of the most popular changes was the creation of a salad bar loaded with fresh fruits, vegetables and salad blends such as three-bean or carrot and raisin. In the kitchen, foods are now baked instead of fried, and traditional recipes have gotten a makeover.

“Some of the older high school students may have been accustomed to pizzas with a little more fat content, but now we use a flatbread crust that actually creates a tastier pizza with low fat ingredients,” said Hughes. “And we don’t fry; we bake, which presents a challenge for

French fries, but we’re still working on that.”

Hughes