Ecotrust in the News
The Statesman Journal
May 12, 2009
By Stefanie Knowlton
Schools try local, fresher food
Bill would provide subsidy to help more districts buy from Oregon farms
Workers at Happy Harvest Farm gathered heads of romaine lettuce and strawberries from the greenhouse about 8 a.m.
By noon, the produce dotted trays at Gervais High School 6 miles away.
Junior Enrique Barrera and his friends piled their plates high with salad and strawberries.
"It tasted fresh," Barrera said.
His friends agreed.
"It's more simple and more natural than the salads at McDonald's," said junior Juan Rodriguez.
Gervais School District is part of a growing nationwide trend in which schools buy directly from local farmers and food processors. The idea is to support local agriculture and provide fresh, nutritious meals for schoolchildren at a time when hunger and obesity rates continue to rise.
"It's good for the kids. It's good for the farmer. Everybody wins," said Matt Jones, a co-owner of Jones Farm Produce, one of the farms that supplies food to Gervais.
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