"Put Local on Your Tray" Taste Test Event A Success!
Posted on 04/25/2023
Students, faculty, staff and special guests enjoyed a “taste test” during the Put Local on Your Tray event held at  Frank T. Wheeler Elementary School on April 18th, . The event, which was coordinated by Plainville Community Schools Food Services Director Ashley Carl, and held during the school’s lunch waves, introduced Kale Salad as a taste test item, featuring locally grown kale from the Maple Bank Farm in Roxbury, Connecticut. Additionally, students enjoyed locally produced maple syrup from the Lamothe Sugar House in Burlington, Connecticut, Greek yogurt from Cows Around the Corner in Bethlehem, Connecticut, and several additional healthy food items as part of the lunch menu that day. As students participated in the “Kale Salad taste test” they also shared their candid feedback, by placing stickers on a large chart indicating whether they “tried it” and / or “loved it”. The goal of the taste test event was to provide an opportunity for students to enjoy a variety of healthy, locally produced food items that they may not have otherwise had the opportunity to try.
 

“Farm to School activities such as this tasting event are beneficial to Connecticut’s students, farmers, and communities at large,” said Connecticut Department of Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt. “We applaud the educators and administrators at Plainville Public Schools for bringing this experience to their students while supporting local producers with their purchase of CT Grown products.”


“It was a great event and the kids were so excited to try the kale! Many students were even asking for seconds, and we will now feature Kale Salad on our menu in the future. I am very lucky to have such strong support from our district, non-profit partners, and the Connecticut State Department of Education,” noted Carl.

“This local tasting event was a terrific way to encourage our students to try some new foods that came from local farms. I was surprised to see how many students who were initially reluctant to try kale changed their minds, and realized that they really liked it! The local syrup and yogurt were also a hit with many children. I appreciate Mrs. Carl’s efforts to work with local partners and to invite state officials to make this such a successful event,”  said Superintendent of Schools, Steven LePage.