Gray Station Middle School helped host a Farm-to-School Fiesta with the Jones County Schools Nutrition Program recently, where local foods were showcased for students to eat at the Jones County schools.
Matoshia Grant, director of Jones County Schools Nutrition Program, said she was excited for the event. She said she hoped all the students at the schools enjoyed the meal and thought about where their food comes from.
“We had a farm to table event with all the schools here in Jones County, and we showcased local farmers,” she said. “About 90 percent of the food offered was from local farmers, and by local I mean farmers within 100 miles of Jones County. The biggest thing was the ground beef came from White Oak Pastures, and they donated ground beef to our district.”
The purpose was to show White Oak Pastures how much they are appreciated by having a festive event. She said she was excited about the students seeing the food and what was offered. They wanted to educate students on what is considered local food.
“We want more exposure to Jones County, and we want to educate the students about what is growing around us. We want to show the kids where we get our food from, and we’re not getting food with harsh chemicals or anything like that. This is food from right here in our backyard,” Grant said.
The director said she wants the students to see how lunch at school can be different. She said she hopes the Farm-to-School Fiesta and other events like this will trigger them to follow a career path in local farming or food knowledge.
Grant said her favorite part about the Farm-to-School Fiesta was to see the student’s expressions and hear the questions some of them asked. She said she hopes to do the event again next school year.
“They had chipotle bowls with ground beef with rice, black beans, corn, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and more,” the director said. “I think the students really enjoyed the food. It was a great way to let them have a little fun right before school ended.”
