ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Governor Wes Moore has declared September 30 – October 4, 2024 as Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week. Now in its 17th year, this promotion encourages Maryland schools to serve local food in lunches to show students where their food comes from and to introduce them to fresh, nutritious products made right here in Maryland.
Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week is an element of the Maryland Farm to School Program, which is administered by the Maryland Department of Agriculture and Maryland State Department of Education. The program aims to bring locally-produced foods into schools, provide hands-on experiential learning to students, and integrate food-related education, while promoting the benefits of local, nutritious foods.
School districts across the state will participate in Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week by providing students with locally-sourced school meals and educational materials. Activities include:
- Frederick County Public Schools: Frederick County grown foods will be served including apples from Catoctin Mountain Orchard, lettuce from Pleasant Hill Produce, tomatoes and broccoli from Chestnut Hill Farm and Market, pears for Moon Valley Farm, and milk from Dairy Maid Dairy.
- Calvert County Public Schools: Calvert County will serve local beef from Battle Creek Farm in Prince Frederick on their Beef Nacho Day October 3.
- Caroline County Public Schools: Colonel Richardson Middle School will celebrate on October 3rd and will be featuring Maryland crab from JM Clayton and blue catfish cakes from Tilghman Island Seafood. Various produce items including cucumbers, watermelon, and apples will be provided by Bartenfelder Farms and Blades Orchard. Shore Gourmet will also be making a zucchini bread and dairy products will be provided by Chapel’s Country Creamery and Nice Farms Creamery.
- Dorchester County Public Schools: Maple Elementary will have the mobile agriculture lab on site for the week of September 30-October 4. Choptank River Crab & Oyster Company will be presenting to North Dorchester High School on Tuesday, October 1 and supplying crab meat and crab ball samples.
- St. Mary’s County Public Schools: Leonardtown Elementary School will celebrate on October 1 and Dynard Elementary School will have their event on October 3. Both locations will serve grilled burgers with ground beef provided from Part Green Hill Farm (Leonardtown) or Hole In The Woods Farm & Meats, (Chaptico), corn on the cob from Stauffer’s Farm (Mechanicsville), watermelon from Ben Beale, (Oakville) and tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers from Zimmerman’s or Stauffer’s Farm. Dynard Elementary will also host a dairy education station with the American Dairy Association North East.
This year’s Homegrown School Lunch Week celebration will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at Waverley Elementary School in Frederick County. An estimated 175 third grade students will attend an assembly featuring Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks, Frederick County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Cheryl L. Dyson, and apple producer Katelyn Robertson of Catoctin Mountain Orchards. Students also sampled apples during lunch with help from University of Maryland Extension SNAP-Ed
Other activities after lunch include visiting booths from the American Dairy Association North East, the Frederick 4-H Club, the Frederick High School FFA chapter, and the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation. Later in the day, students will have a story read to them in their classrooms, “Right This Very Minute” by Lisl Detlefsen, followed up with an activity to build their own “lunch trays” and match their foods to their sources.
For educational materials, Harvest of the Month posters, produce seasonality charts, menus, places to find local products, a brief video soundbook with photos and interviews, plus much more for parents, teachers, and food service staff, please visit the Maryland Farm to School website.
According to the 2019 U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm to School Census, Maryland schools spent more than $19 million on local foods in School Year 2018-2019. More than 95 percent of Maryland schools serve local foods, and nearly 97 percent of Maryland schools participate in farm-to-school activities such as nutrition education, taste testing, gardening and collaborating with local farmers. Maryland was also the first state in the nation to have every public school system participate in the Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week.
More details about Maryland’s school meals programs can be found on the Maryland State Department of Education’s website. More information on Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week can be found on MDA’s website. For questions or concerns, please contact MDA’s Karen Fedor at karen.fedor@maryland.gov or (410) 841-5773.
