Central Public Schools Receives Grant For School Garden!

Food Service Director/Chef CindyAnn Lambright Attends National Farm to Cafeteria Conference… Receives Grant for School Garden Initiative for Central Public Schools.

Farm to school initiatives are growing trends today and will be for decades to come. Taher, Inc. has been committed to offering fresh, made‐from‐scratch meals for schools that include farm‐direct produce. School meal choices at Central Public Schools are chef‐developed and registered dietitian approved and now, the district will have even more farm‐focused foods to look forward as plans develop for a school garden.

Cindy Ann Lambright, a professional chef and food service director for Taher, Inc. at Central Public Schools manages the school lunch program and recently returned from a national conference that was entirely dedicated to educating attendees about new advances in “Farm to Cafeteria” programming. In addition to gaining knowledge and resources, Cindy Ann was a recipient of a $1,000 grant for school garden programming at Central Public School District.

The conference titled “Digging In!” was held in Burlington, VT and brought together food service professionals, farmers, educators, policy makers, and more to advance their skills in this rapidly growing movement. The conference included skill‐building short‐courses, field trips to Vermont farms and institutions, inspiring speakers and a diverse workshop program as well as networking with folks who are working hard to connect their communities to local, farm‐fresh food.

Some of the initial plans for the committee include evaluating an in‐classroom method to empower students to grow culinary herbs for use in school meals and in classroom taste‐test activities. Student involvement in the gardening process means they are more likely to try and accept new tastes and food items.

If you have questions or would like to learn more about involvement in the Farm to School Project,
please contact CindyAnn Lambright at Central Public Schools, 952‐467‐7147.