geographic preference for school food: overcoming legal barriers - powerpoint presentation

Portland Public SchoolsNutrition Services

Gitta Grether-Sweeney, MS, RD, Director Shannon Stember, RD, Assistant Director

Portland Public SchoolsNutrition Services

Mission: To provide students delicious, high quality and nutrient rich meals.

“Audacious” Goal: Be the most successful urban school district, to educate palates, inspire culinary curiosity and nourish the health of the community through school meals.

www.pps.k12.or.us/departments/nutrition/index.htm

Portland Statistics• Enrollment: 47,000 students• 45% of the students are eligible

for free or reduced price meals– 42 schools 25% or less free/reduced– 40 schools 50% or greater free/reduced– 3 Provision schools (breakfast & lunch)

• 85 School Cafeterias (including Head Start sites)• On-site food preparation• Central Warehouse & Distribution• Nutrition Service Employees: 260• Management Team: Six Registered Dietitians,

One Masters of Public Health• 40 Edible School Gardens

Portland Child Nutrition ProgramsNumber of Meals served per day

Breakfast: 11,000Lunch: 21,000After School Supper: 2,000 at 32 schoolsFresh Fruit & Vegetable Program: 18 schoolsSummer Program 3,500-5,000Head Start Programs No a la carte or vending in K-82008-09 State law set nutrition standards for all foods outside NSLP or SBP

Changing School Lunch

“Real Food with Local Flavors”

From this…

…to this!

Changing School Lunch

spending $1.12 to $1.20 on food

Milk~$0.20

Entree~$0.62

Veggies~$0.15

Fruit~$0.15

Menu and Recipe ChangesNew Menu Items:• Indian Curry w/Chicken or Chickpeas w/Couscous• Hummus Plate• Whole Breast Chicken Nugget and Pattie• Handmade Bean & Cheese Burritos• Lasagna• Pizza-crust made with Shepherd’s Grain Flour• Roasted Zucchini, Cumin Carrots, Brussels Sprouts• Garbanzo Bean & Tomato Salad• Black Bean & Corn Salad• Fresh Salad Mixes: Mesclun & Romaine, Green Leaf, Spinach• Zac O’mega Bars made with Shepherd’s Grain Flour

Eliminated:Ranch DressingCorn DogsHoliday Cookies

Changing School Lunch

“Real Food with Local Flavors”

Portland Farm to School Timeline

2006-07 – Began Farm to School/Local Purchasing

May 2007 – Harvest of the Month RFP

June 2007 - Fresh Produce RFP

2007-present• Harvest of the Month

Twice a month• Local Flavors

Weekly

June 2007 Fresh Produce RFPThe District is implementing a Harvest of the Month (HOM) educationalpromotion in the District. Harvest of the Month is one step toward realizing the vision the District holds for school cafeterias as a model forhealth, wellness and food system sustainability. With HOM the cafeteria is viewed as a learning laboratory to introduce students to locallysourced foods.

The District’s intent is to purchase locally grown produce. It is desirableto purchase product from Farms that are located as close to PortlandPublic Schools as possible in order to provide the freshest produce aspossible. The District is interested in purchasing produce from farmerswhose production practices support environmental sustainability goals,such as, (but not restricted to), reduced use or elimination of chemicalpesticides and fertilizers, use of organic fertilizers, fewer transport milesbetween farm and District, and environmentally friendly packaging.

Featured HOM products will be promoted through student artwork inDistrict’s calendar and posters in school cafeterias. Some schools mayalso choose to provide supplemental educational activities in theirclassrooms and/or their school garden programs.

June 2007 Fresh Produce RFPOregon PreferenceTo the extent allowed by Law, the District reserves the right to give preference togoods and services produced within the State of Oregon when all things are equal with competing offers. When fruits and vegetables grown in Oregon are in season and all things being equal, the District would prefer to purchase locally grown produce.

Oregon Harvest Schedule:Fruit: Vegetables:Apples July-Oct Asparagus April-JuneApricots July-Aug Broccoli July-OctBlueberries July-Sept Carrots June-OctGrapes Sept-Oct Cauliflower Aug-OctMelons Aug-Sept Corn Aug-Oct Nectarines July-Aug Cucumbers July-SeptPeaches June-Aug Lettuce April –OctPears Aug-Oct Potatoes July-OctPlums Aug-Sept Squash July-OctStrawberries May-June Tomatoes July-Oct

Harvest of the Month

Real Food with Local FlavorsOver 32% of our food purchases come from local farmers and local

companies. These “Local Flavors” bring the region’s great products to the students of Portland Public Schools

Local FarmersCal Farms, Oregon CityKiyokowa Family Orchards, ParkdaleNature’s Fountain Farm, AlbanyPollock & Sons, HermistonStrebin Farms, TroutdaleUnger Farms, CorneliusWalter Wells & Sons, Hood RiverWillamette Valley Orchards, Salem

Local CompaniesAlpenrose Dairy, PortlandBroadway Bagels, PortlandCascadian Farm, Skagit Valley, WADon Pancho, SalemFairlight Bakery, Vancouver, WAHarry’s Fresh Foods, PortlandClackamas Bakery, ClackamasRoadrunner Pizza, GladstoneShepherd’s Grain, Pacific NorthwestTeeny’s Foods, PortlandThe Original Taco House, PortlandTruitt Brothers, SalemYami Yogurt, Auburn, WA

Community PartnersEcotrust Food and Farms School Food FOCUSOregon Dept of Agriculture OHSU Dietetic InternshipOregon Dept of Education City of PortlandOregon State Extension Oregon Dairy CouncilMultnomah County CPPW Eat.Think.GrowGrowing Gardens Oregon Food BankPartners for Hunger Free Oregon

Thank you