Maryland Department of Agriculture

Maryland Home Grown Lunch Week 2009 will be held from September 14-18, 2009. School cafeterias throughout Maryland will feature food items from more than 30 different Maryland farms as well as opportunities to learn more about how their food is grown and the benefits of a healthy diet. Just think of the tremendous impact on our families and our communities if even one local item is included in school lunches for each of the 950,000 Maryland public school students. Farmers would have additional income, thereby strengthening the local economy and keeping farm land open and productive. Our children would receive the nutritional benefits of fresh, local products as well as the knowledge of why this matters. And, the financial, environmental, and nutritional costs of transporting food would decrease. Including local food in school lunches and related information in the classroom is good for our students and good for Maryland. We encourage students and parents to continue asking for fresh, local produce in school lunches. For more details, contact your local school, or call MDA at 410-841-5770 or email MarylandsBest@mda.state.md.us.

Below is a snapshot of activities that are occurring during Maryland Home Grown Lunch Week based on a survey of school systems, it is not necessarily an inclusive list of all activities.

Maryland Home Grown Lunch Week Schedule of Events 2009
Allegany County		Apples are on the menu on Wednesday for elementary and Thursday for secondary schools. When available, the schools plan to feature Maryland products. All 21 county schools (approximately 9,200 students) will be participating.
Local Grower		Produce from Carroll County Foods
Anne Arundel County Public Schools		Anne Arundel County Public Schools will buy local produce when available throughout the school year, which will be served to approximately 25,000 students daily.  All schools will feature a different local produce each day of the week including watermelon, cucumbers, apples, tomatoes and cantaloupe.  More than 73,000 students will be exposed to special morning announcements. During the kick-off event on September 15, Hebron-Harman Elementary School students will discuss how food is raised and meet with local farmers and agriculture officials.  Fifth graders will have a local lunch with locally-grown butternut squash, spinach, golden cherry tomatoes, melon, and more. In the 2008‑2009 school year, Anne Arundel County increased their purchases of locally grown produce through Keany Produce Co. by 38,000 pounds.
Local Growers		Arnold Farms in Chestertown, Hummingbird Farms in Ridgley, Godfrey Farms in Sudlersville, Schillinger’s Farm in Millersville, George Burton Farms, Lohr’s Orchard, and SC Burton Farms in Glen Arm
Baltimore County Public Schools		Local fruits and vegetables will be served throughout the week: Monday, apples; Tuesday, cantaloupe; Wednesday, grape tomatoes and cucumbers; and Thursday, seedless watermelon.  Students at Hereford Middle School will pick cherry tomatoes at their school farm and supply the tomatoes to their cafeteria. During the winter months, Hereford students will grow lettuce in the greenhouse and collect eggs from the chickens which will be supplied to the school’s cafeteria.
Local Growers		Coastal Sunbelt will be procuring local fruits and vegetables for Baltimore City. Farms include Baugher’s Orchards in Westminister.
Calvert County Public Schools		Activities are planned for two elementary schools involving local farmers and other community agencies (farm equipment, livestock, planting and growing information, etc.)  The lunch menu will include Calvert County-grown corn on the cob and Maryland grown peaches at these two schools and Maryland grown apples at all elementary schools.
Local Grower		Calvert County Cooperative Extension Agency, Southern Maryland Agricultural Resources Commission, Calvert County Department of Economic Development, Master Gardeners, Chespax.
Carrolll County Public Schools		Watermelon, cantaloupe, peaches and apples will be served throughout the Homegrown Lunch Week.
Local Growers:		Springmeadow Farms in Upperco, Baugher’s Orchards in Westminister.
Cecil County Public Schools		The school system is buying a multitude of local products directly from local farmers.  Products include: raspberries, apples, peaches, string beans, carrots, local Asian pears, corn, watermelon, jam, beef patties, and ice cream.   All 29 public schools (and 16,500 students) will receive local products based on availability in their area. Students will also receive book marks. Several growers will set up displays in school cafeterias and be available for Q&A and interactions will students in seven different schools.
Local Growers		Colora Orchards in Colora, Milburn Orchards in Elkton, Priapi Gardens in Cecilton, Eagles Roost Farm in North East, Fairwinds Farm in North East, Brick House Farms in Cecilton, Walnut Springs Farm in Elkton, Galvinell Meat Company in Conowingo, Giffords Farm in Rising Sun, Kilby’s Cream in Rising Sun.
Dorchester County Public School		All 11 schools will serve approximately 4,700 enrolled students Maryland-grown produce throughout the week.  Hurlock Elementary School will have taste testing of fresh Maryland-grown melon salad.  All of the elementary schools students will receive bookmarks that were provided through the Maryland Department to Agriculture.  The menu will feature a different local food each day of the week: Monday, tomatoes; Tuesday, baked sweet potatoes; Wednesday, cucumbers with ranch dressing; Thursday, pepper strips (dressing optional) and Friday, watermelon.  They will also feature Maryland products throughout the year when available.
Local Growers		Simmons Center Market of Cambridge, Charles Biskach of North Dorchester area and Harding Farms.
Frederick County Public Schools		All 64 Frederick County Public Schools will have apples beginning on September 7 and running through December.  It takes an average of 90 bushels of apples each week to feed Frederick’s 40,000 students.
Local Grower		Catoctin Mountain Orchard
Garrett County Public Schools		Garrett County Public School will serve local hamburgers to 4,400 students.  The hamburger was purchased at a local food store.
Harford County Public Schools		Local tomatoes, watermelon and apples will be served throughout the week. On Wednesday, September 16, local VIPs will have lunch at Fountain Green Elementary School with school children.  Additional local menu items include fruit salad and coleslaw.  Keany and Jones Produce Farms are the distributors.
Howard County Public Schools		Local watermelon, apples, cucumber, lettuce, red and green peppers, and tomatoes will be served throughout the week.
Local Grower		Bowie Producer is the distributor.
Kent County Public Schools		Kent County Commissioners will go to Worton Elementary School on Tuesday, September 15.  At the school, the Commissioners will sign a proclamation, visit the school garden and have lunch with the children.    Kent County Extension has been very helpful with the event.  Some of the local items include tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, apples, corn, and green beans.  These items are served throughout the school year based on availability.
Local Growers		Lockbriar and Arnold Farms in Chestertown
Montgomery County Public Schools		We are featuring locally grown fruits and vegetables on the lunch menu, such as apples, melons, celery, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini and cabbage.  Maryland agriculture will also be promoted through classroom programs and students and local farmers.
St. Mary’s County:		In St. Mary's County, 600 students at three elementary schools, White Marsh, Town Creek and Oakville Elementary will participate in special events. Each school will have live educational and interactive exhibits, including the school system's new green trailer, farm animals, farm produce and products, and small farm equipment.  All classes at each school will visit the four outdoor exhibits for 45 minutes of hands on ag-education.  The school lunches will include cucumber, squash and tomato with dip and corn on the cob.  Teachers will be provided a CD with classroom educational materials that connect to nutrition and agriculture integrated with curriculum.  Some of these materials will be from the Maryland Farm to School website, and from the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation's DVD, "The Mystery of the Missing Pizza," about where food/pizza ingredients come from.  On the same day, the cafeterias at all 26 schools (for approximately 17,000 students) will serve watermelon and the staff nutritionist will deliver a nutrition lesson while the students are eating.
Local Growers		Loveville Mennonite Auction and farmers through partnerships with the University of Maryland Extension Educators and Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission.
Talbot County Public Schools		Talbot County Public School Lunches will feature cantaloupe on Wednesday, September 16 and watermelon on Thursday, September 17.
Local Grower		Wings Landing Farms
Washington County Public Schools		Washington County lunches will include cheddar and feta cheese, corn on the cob, watermelon, local Asian pears, apples, lettuce, green beans, broccoli, tomatoes, and eggs. All 21,500 county students plan to participate.
Local Growers		Greensburg Farms Produce Company, Valley Orchards and Edgemont Orchards in Smithsburg, Kaleb Hess Farms of Shady Grove, PA and Meadow Farms in Sharpsburg and Palmyra Farms of Hagerstown.
Wicomico County Public Schools		2000 students at 3 Wicomico Co schools enjoyed Maryland apples. (Beaver Run Elementary, North Salisbury Elementary, and Salisbury Middle )
Local Grower		Steve Balderston at Colora Orchards
Worcester County Public Schools		Worcester County Public School lunches will feature tomatoes, apples, watermelon and squash.
Local Growers		Vessey Orchards in Westover, Melon Patch Farm in Shelltown.  Squash is from the Eastern Shore of Virginia.