Maryland schools out to lunch on healthy foods

When I was a "yute" (youth!) in Brooklyn, NY, my first grade teacher in PS 67 had us choose one cent seed packets from the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. After receiving the seeds, we went to the public library, which was next to our school, and planted, weeded and eventually harvested the produce from the garden. This innovative project from the early 1950's is far removed from today's reality for Montgomery County school students.

Today's Maryland elementary school kids, unless they're in a special charter school or wealthy private school, are unlikely to eat a salad for lunch made from the carrots, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers they grew and picked fresh from their library garden. Instead, they are more than likely to eat cafeteria food that, although it follows USDA nutritional guidelines, mimics what they eat at the fast food joints, putting them on the track to obesity and type 2 diabetes. In the long term, they're well on their way to a diet that presently costs taxpayers over $100 billion a year in hospital costs, lost work days, and dependency on pharmaceuticals.

However, all across the country, over 20 states have responded by passing innovative legislation called "farm to cafeteria" programs. I just attended an exciting national conference in Baltimore where several hundred farmers, educators, activists, chefs, principals, students and nutritionists came together under the aegis of the John Hopkins University's Center for a Livable Future, Farm Aid, USDA, and The Community Food Security Coalition.

We looked at ways classrooms are working with cafeterias, integrating nutrition, learning and healthy foods. One workshop for instance, "From Pesto Pizza to Kale Calzone" involved students in the purchase, preparation, and, of course, eating the fresh food!

Some of the most innovative programming comes from California, New York and Pennsylvania, where students are actively changing the food practices in their schools. The students strategize with their peers on how to access fair trade products, and better understand nutrition, food processing, environmental impact and the preparation of fresh sustainably grown vegetables and fruits. When students are allowed to plan, study and come up with solutions, they start eating and enjoying cafeteria food!

But not here in Montgomery County or throughout Maryland in general. Here we have administrators who don't understand that eating a balanced diet can lead to better learning and performance on tests (They actually resort to quick fix reward for answers in the form of peppermint candies which are rumored to improve test scores!) Here we put our emphasis on low cost food commodities and low bid purveyors. Instead of outside-the-box and cutting-edge thinkers to improve our food system, we get overly defensive food service personnel and nutritionists who are only a few steps away from being pelted with rotten produce from upset and angry parents and students. Here we have trigger-happy state educational personnel who issue fiscal notes that block creative legislation before they even get a chance to be heard in committee.

What we also have in Maryland is a new liberal governor who has a history of politically charged friction with his chief administrator of education. In '08 when O'Malley will have a majority of committee members on the State Board of Education, he can choose his own leadership and try to replace Nancy Grasmick, the current head administrator. However, Grasmick is an entrenched survivor, who has outlasted three governors and surrounded herself with some competent, albeit conservative, administrators. She's not going to leave quietly.

When it comes to this issue of growing healthy kids by engaging with farmers and communities, it wouldn't surprise me if Grasmick came up with a mandate to explore the more positive approaches.

Currently, here in Montgomery County, we have food personnel who are at a loss when it comes to taking leadership in the issue. We've got a strong proponent on the county council, George Leventhal, who chairs a committee on the subject. And other council members ready to act. We have state legislators, Jane Lawton, Jamie Raskin and Jeff Waldstreicher — plus, some newly-minted members of the Board of Education who are familiar with the issue—who have drafted innovative legislation. Maybe it's time for survivor Grasmick to step in and take leadership — the ball is in her court.

What's being done?

The most innovative programs benefit students, farmers, the environment and communities. Some require additional funds. A "Farmers Market Salad Bar" introduced in three Los Angeles elementary schools reduced caloric intake by 200 calories a day and fat by 11 grams. Students, parents and teachers were part of the tours, tastings and nutrition education.

Similarly, in Wisconsin, 1400 elementary students in 20 schools sampled a wide variety of foods grown in their area. Plus, a farmer engaged the students in various games and activities centered on food and agriculture.

In Vermont, a collaboration between an organic farm association and elementary and middle schools integrates food purchasing with farmers and extends the classroom and learning environment to the cafeteria. This collaboration focuses on connecting Vermont's farm life, cycles, history and economy. Imagine what can be done in Maryland if we connect the agrarian history of the Chesapeake, slavery, Native Americans, suburban growth, economy, farming and land development with the food we eat.

Kids have been conditioned, through a steady barrage of advertising and propaganda, to eat the junk food that's caused the obesity rate to double and health costs to skyrocket in the last 30 years. We need to start aggressively addressing these problems now!

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