Whitsons Initiative Brings Local Produce to All Its Massachusetts School Accounts

Whitsons School Nutrition has partnered with the Massachusetts Farm to School Project to bring monthly local produce to all of their 22 school foodservice accounts in the state. The company says it is the first foodservice contractor to have every one of its accounts in Massachusetts join the Harvest of the Month program.

The Harvest of the Month program promotes a different Massachusetts-grown crop each month in school cafeterias across the state. The campaign aims to increase the students’ consumption of local fruits and vegetables, thus encouraging healthy food choices that hopefully will last a lifetime, and also to support local farmers.

“Serving healthy, delicious, locally-grown produce in school meals is good for the health of our children and our local farms," says Kelly Erwin, director of the Massachusetts Farm to School Project. "We're excited that Whitsons' full participation in Mass. Farm to School Project's Harvest of the Month program will benefit thousands of students in Massachusetts and help to encourage them to enjoy a variety of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables.”

Whitsons has been providing local produce to its school accounts through its Greenleaf Cuisine local produce initiative.

“Whitsons is excited to be in the forefront of having all of our Massachusetts accounts signed on to the Harvest of the Month Program," says John Gersbeck, senior vice president of operations. "We are especially excited to offer the Harvest of the Month items and marketing materials along with our current Fruit and Veggie of the Month program. This will solidify our goal in trying to enhance the children’s meals with more colorful fruits and vegetables.”