Sodexo's All Local Day promotes local menu options for New England schools

Sept. 16—Local products get the spotlight today at 16 New England school districts as part of Sodexo’s All Local Day.

The event, which features menu items sourced from local suppliers, offers students and parents an opportunity to learn more about the wide range of food available in New England and the benefits of using seasonally and locally grown products.

Local suppliers took special steps to prepare for the event, including growers at the Pezza Farm in Johnston, R.I., who planted and harvested 600 pounds of lettuce for the occasion. In Massachusetts, Sodexo's All Local Day menu features locally made Kayem hot dogs, local tortellini with marinara sauce, deli sandwiches with locally baked pita pockets and chicken cranberry apple salad with cranberry vinaigrette dressing from Cain's Foods.

"It's relatively easy for students and parents to understand the argument for fresher, healthier foods that are grown locally," Cathy Rocco, district manager for Sodexo, said in a press release. "Initiatives like Sodexo's All Local Day take that a step further and help to demonstrate how local food can not only sustain personal health but the businesses, families and the communities where they live and work as well."

Districts participating in All Local Day include: Fitchburg Public Schools (Mass.), Cranston Public Schools (R.I.), Exeter-West Greenwich Regional School District (R.I.), Jamestown School Department (R.I.), Providence Public School District (R.I.), North Country Supervisory Union (Vt.) and Rutland City Public Schools (Vt.).