Colorado Proud School Meal Day is held annually on September 20 to spotlight Colorado agriculture and to educate students about healthy eating. In celebration of Colorado Proud School Meal Day, DCSD’s 51 elementary schools featured a Colorado Proud Meal for lunch: mixed melons and honeydew, rainbow carrots, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers on the harvest bar, and fresh roasted fingerling potatoes with broccoli and cheese sauce. Colorado Proud School Meal Day is a great way to introduce fresh produce and food to children who might be unfamiliar with some items.
This year, in connection with Colorado Proud School Meal Day, DCSD families and members of the community visited a day-long Farmer’s Market on the front lawn of Arrowwood Elementary in Highlands Ranch. DCSD’s Nutrition Services partnered with Hoffman Farms in Greeley and other local producers, such as Beyond the Hive, Merfs, and Yumbana, which supplied fresh produce and food available for purchase. Attendees had the opportunity to purchase corn, Palisade peaches, shishito peppers, tomatoes, Pueblo chilis, honey sticks, hot sauce and condiments, and gluten-free baked goods.
Carson Steadman and Jackson Sinclair, third-graders at Arrowwood Elementary, enjoyed sampling mixed melons at the Farmer’s Market. DCSD’s Nutrition Services staff members were excited to organize and host the Farmer’s Market after a hiatus due to COVID-19.
“The Farmer’s Market was a big success,” said DCSD Nutrition Services Director Jennifer Peifer. “We sold a total of 849 pounds of Colorado-grown produce, including 380 pounds of Palisade peaches and 180 pounds of melon!”
About Colorado Proud School Meal Day
The Colorado Departments of Agriculture and Education invite Colorado schools to participate in the annual Colorado Proud School Meal Day. It’s a day to celebrate Colorado agriculture and to educate school children about healthy eating.
In order to encourage eating habits that will promote a lifetime of optimal health, it is essential to teach children about the importance of eating foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products. Proper nutrition is critical if our educational programs and our students are going to continue to excel.
Colorado farmers and ranchers produce food items that provide the nutrients children and adults need to thrive. Agribusinesses contribute $47 billion to the state economy annually and provide more than 195,000 jobs. With more than 38,000 farms and ranches encompassing 31 million acres, it is easy to understand the value this industry adds to Colorado.
