Sisters food service buys right from farm

Food service is big business for the Sisters School District. Between 250 and 280 lunches and about 100 breakfasts are served at Sisters Elementary School each day. The middle school serves close to 225 lunches and 100 breakfasts, and the high school serves approximately 120 lunches and 80 breakfasts.

Janice Comfort, Nutritional Service Coordinator, introduced the Farm to School program to Sisters schools in September. Through the program, fresh fruits and vegetables are purchased directly from small area farms with the goals of incorporating fresh, nutritious produce into school meals and assisting local farmers to acquire new markets.

Such arrangements are increasingly important to farmers (see related story, page 4).

Comfort initiated the program in September when Atherton Farms in Madras offered to sell watermelons and cantaloupes, fresh out of the field. Comfort accepted and the farmer transported some 40 watermelons that averaged 25 pounds each in the back of his truck to Sisters. He also brought cantaloupes - although not as many as Comfort would have liked.

Since this first delivery, Happy Harvest Farms of Mt. Angel has provided: cantaloupes; blueberries; strawberries; celery; broccoli; bell peppers; as well as yellow, cherry, plum and slicing tomatoes. Gala apples, nectarines and pears have been supplied by Kimberly Orchards of Kimberly, Oregon.

Comfort said that the Farm to School program helps children learn that food choices matter by giving them regular access to fresh and tasty produce. It assists the schools in improving the quality of the meals they offer. The program is an excellent vehicle for educating students about nutrition, food and agriculture, and on a broader spectrum, it creates greater community awareness about local agriculture.

Comfort's goal is to expand the Farm to School program throughout the school year, as well as to introduce a Sisters Business to School program next month. Through the Business to School program, local restaurants will offer their specialties at Sisters' schools.

Martolli's Pizza is scheduled to bring pizza to the elementary school on November 3. Subway, Papandreas Pizzeria, and Soba Noodle & Rice are also negotiating with Comfort to participate in the program. Comfort said, "I've had interest from other businesses, but they can't meet the price point that I have to meet for the program."

Comfort commented that in the same manner that the Farm to School program supports area farmers and provides them with a new market, the Business to School program will provide Sisters' businesses with a new market. The program helps businesses to become "involved in the schools. It will be good for both of us. I'm hoping it will increase participation, and it helps generate revenue for the businesses in Sisters," Comfort said.

Her hope is that as businesses become aware of the program, more and more will become interested in participating and as she says, "Give me a call."

Comfort noted that, "The pricing is very aggressive."

Ninety percent of the produce Comfort has purchased from the farmers has been cheaper than the produce she purchases from her regular food vendor.

"There were a couple of things that I pay a little bit more for but not anything significant to say no I can't afford to purchase it from you," Comfort remarked that the best part is that the produce comes "straight off the field. The smell and the flavor are just amazing."

Processing fresh produce from the farmer is more labor intensive for Comfort's staff. Items like broccoli and celery can be purchased from her major food vendor already cut up, ready to go.

"I'm getting the heads of broccoli and I'm getting the big, bunches of celery, so they require a little more labor from the kitchen staff to get them ready, but the kitchen staff has been very responsive," Comfort said. "They love having the color of it, the flavor of it and the response they are getting from teachers and even parents who are coming in and seeing the variety bars and what is available."

To purchase from a vendor, the district must be assured that the vendor is following the same food safety regulations that the district must follow.

The district is purchasing only from farmers who sell at the Bend Farmers' Market.

"They already have all of their standard operating procedures in place and as a school district we have to have proof that things are coming in safe," Comfort said "These farmers that we are using already have that in place. They can't be involved in the Bend Farmers' Market without it."