Join Massachusetts Farm to School and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office for Food and Nutrition Programs (FNP) in celebrating School Year 2023-2024’s monthly Terrific Tray Winners!
School nutrition programs across the Commonwealth have submitted photographs of trays featuring delicious local foods sourced from local and regional farms, dairies, and fisheries. We now need YOU to cast your vote in selecting a 2024 Terrific Tray of the Year from among our monthly winners. Only one vote per person, please. Voting closes May 10, 2024.
The tray with the most votes will be recognized as the Terrific Tray of the Year in May 2024 at the Healthy Kids, Healthy Programs Summit.
Belmont Public Schools’ fish tacos are a catch when offering students a taste of local New England seafood. As part of Boston fishery, Red’s Best “Catch of the Day” program, Food Service Director Jackie Morgan receives fresh fish including haddock, pollock, hake, and fluke monthly based on what is caught in abundance off New England’s shoreline. The featured hake was served with lettuce from Little Leaf Farms (Devens, MA), with apples from Carlson Orchards (Harvard, MA) and a noodle salad made with sweet potatoes and beets sourced from Joe Czajkowski Farm (Hadley, MA). Follow Belmont’s menu updates on Facebook and read more about their sea-inspired offerings in the Spring 2024 issue of Edible Boston.
Pittsfield Public Schools perfected a school meal classic serving up a beef meatball sub on a whole grain hoagie with scratch made marinara sauce and a side of roasted butternut squash from Plainville Farms in Hadley, MA. To complete the tray, Food Service Director Jeremy Wells and staff procured local Cortland apples from Pine Hill Orchards in Colrain, MA and made a scratch buttermilk ranch dressing to compliment their tossed salad. Follow their updates on Instagram (@pittsfieldfoodservices) and check out their upcoming March middle school lunch menu for ideas!
The Dr. Franklin Perkins School (@RFKCommunity) in Lancaster learned about traditions celebrated during Kwanzaa (Menu) as part of the holiday edition of “World Lunch Day.” World Lunch Day is a global cuisines project, which also featured Hanukkah & Holiday Movie themed meals. Food Service Director Danielle Sprague & her team prepared a scratch-cooked meal of jerk chicken sourced from Kalon Farms in Lancaster, just one mile from campus. Her tray also included black eyed peas, jollof rice, bacon braised collard greens, and mini sweet potato pie bites, and bulk milk. Check out Dir. Sprague’s February lunch menu for inspiration.
Belchertown Public Schools is serving beef stew this winter, sourcing beef directly from Austin Ridge Acres, a woman-owned farm in Belchertown, MA. This robust stew includes potatoes, onions, carrots and garlic, with thyme sourced from Swift River Elementary School’s garden within the district! Department of Defense (DOD) broccoli, cauliflower and carrots add color on the side, and garlic bread, 1%milk, plum, and orange slices round out the tray. Follow Belchertown’s updates on Facebook (@btownschoolmeals) and Instagram (@Btown_school_meals).
Acton Boxborough celebrated the fall season with cinnamon delicata smiles sourced from Plainville Farms in Hadley, MA along with delicious local apples from Carlson Orchards in Harvard, MA. The Acton Boxborough High School food service team – Kevin, Patrick, Amy, Noppy, and Rosario – served up these local bites with chicken parmesan pasta, a garlic breadstick and a freshly tossed salad. Follow their updates on Facebook (@ABFoodServices1) and X (@ABFoodServices1) as well as on Instagram (@abfoodservices)!
Waltham Public Schools students tested a new, fun-gi focused school lunch, a grilled cheese with local mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm in Westford, MA as well as spinach from Queens Greens in Amherst, MA, paired with a summer squash, zucchini medley (top left) grown just down the road at Waltham Fields Community Farm. Chef Tanja Peterson from Waltham High School dreamed up this mixed mushroom grilled cheese sandwich recipe with Food Service Director April Liles. Together they plan to continue experimenting with other cheeses, breads, veggies and sauces for added menu variety. Follow their updates on Facebook (@WPSNutritionK12) and X (@WPSnutritionK12) as well as Instagram (@walthamschoolnutritionk12)!
Littleton Public Schools students enjoyed a chicken fajita bowl jam-packed with local eats! Leah Botko (she/her), Littleton Food Service Director, and team sourced heirloom tomatoes for their mozzarella cheese, balsamic, tomato stack from Wards Berry Farm in Sharon, MA, cherry tomatoes complimenting the tex mex corn salad (recipe) from Stonefield Farm in Acton, MA and crispy apples from Fairview Orchard in Groton, MA. Shout out to the delicious self-serve produce bar featured behind the tray. Follow them on Facebook (@LPSNutritionMA) and X (@LPS_NutritionMA) as well as Instagram (@littletonmalunches)!
Chicopee Public School students enjoyed potato wedges and pickle spears grown and processed at Joe Czajkowski Farm in Hadley, MA. The Chicopee FRESH team used this Potato Wedge recipe from Food Hero/Oregon Harvest for Schools, and credits in the “starchy” vegetable subgroup, while pickle spears credit in the “other” vegetable subgroup. In this case, they are served as a delicious extra, complementing Chicopee Fresh’s bacon swiss burgers served by Jackie McCollaum at Chicopee Comprehensive High School.
Phone: (413) 253-3844
Email: info@massfarmtoschool.org
