By Amanda Estes
Staff Writer
Nearly 100 schools across the state were expected to serve up an array of fruits and vegetables during Wednesday’s lunches to promote Maine Harvest Day, a celebration of local foods.
After a 10-year hiatus, Walter Beesley of the Maine Department of Education said schools were approaching the event in different ways. Some food programs were creating entire meals consisting of Maine products, while others offered apples for dessert.
South Portland schools participated in the event for the first time this year, while Gorham schools have been hosting celebrations for several years and are credited with reviving the program.
The goal of the event is three-fold: promote local farms, encourage healthy food choices and educate students about where their food comes from.
Gov. John Baldacci  proclaimed Sept. 26 Maine Harvest Day for School Lunch.
“Maine Harvest Day will establish ongoing communication between farms and schools and students will develop an awareness and appetite for more healthy food choices,” Baldacci said in a prepared statement.
South Portland Food Service Director Martha Spencer said although this is the first year South Portland has participated in the event, the district has been receiving produce from the William H. Jordan farm for the last three harvest seasons.
Produce from the Cape Elizabeth farm was the inspiration for Wednesday’s menu of baked potatoes with broccoli and cheese sauce, ratatouille and eggplant parmesan. The menu also included corn on the cob from Grant’s farm in Saco, pears from Doles Orchard in Limington, apples from Bracket’s Orchards in Limington and Oakhurst milk.
“We’re always looking for new relationships,” said Spencer. “The other three [farms] are new to us this year.”
Penny Jordan of Jordan’s farm said she sends a list of available produce to Spencer and Scarborough School Nutrition Director Judith Campbell, they identify what they want and then the farm delivers it. Depending on the time of year, the list might include lettuce, tomatoes, eggplant, onions, green peppers, green beans, salad greens, cherry tomatoes and cabbage.
On Monday, the farm delivered chives for baked potatoes.
“I do it primarily because I believe the farms should be an integral part of the community and schools are a key part of reaching that goal,” Jordan said. “And I do it because I think that kids need to have access to fresh and local food and start to understand the sources of their food and that there is a difference when it’s closer to home.”
While Jordan said working with the schools benefits the farm financially, she said it takes time and coordination to develop a relationship that is beneficial for both the farm and the school.
Spencer said her budget is usually $2.50 per student, which includes labor costs. She said it remained to be seen how the Maine Harvest Day would compare with that figure.
Gorham Food Services Director Ron Adams said between one and two percent of his budget or between $2,000 and $4,000 a year is spent on local products. During the months of September and October, the menus feature different local products on Wednesdays and Thursdays, he said.
Adams said lunch sales typically increase by a third on Maine Harvest Day. He attributes the increase to the activities and attention that proceed the lunch. On Maine Harvest Day, Adams said he typically spends $1.40 per student as compared to roughly one dollar per student on any other day.
Adams said he receives produce from farms in town as well as farms in Scarborough and Buxton. He said a group of 18 parent volunteers were on hand to shuck corn and do other prep work for Wednesday’s lunch.
The menu was scheduled to include whole wheat pizza with Cabot cheddar cheese and locally raised beef for a topping, locally raised hamburgers on whole grain buns, baked potatoes with broccoli and cheese sauce, salad mix and apples.
Both Adams and Amanda Beal, co-organizer of Gorham’s harvest day said the event goes beyond the cafeteria to include the larger community.
In 2001, a representative of the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District (CCSWCD) contacted Beal, current president of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), about creating a local foods program. A partnership between the Gorham schools, CCSWCD, MOFGA, Farm Fresh Connection and the People’s Regional Opportunity Program (PROP) has helped sustain the program, Beal said.
“We really did think if we could just get this food service director to do this for one day, maybe they would see it’s not that hard and keep doing it,” Beal said.
Last week, lessons about local agriculture and nutrition were integrated into the classroom and on Monday the schools were still in the midst of a district wide poster contest, Beal said. She said they also encourage farmers to come into the schools and set up displays.
In addition, signs on the lunch line and table tents would serve to educate students about local farms. She said the table tents would “tell the students the average bite of food may travel 1,500 miles, but the food today traveled less than 300 miles.”