WESTOVER, MD, October 6, 2023 – Somerset County Public Schools (SCPS) recently celebrated a new partnership with Somerset County’s Wood Duck Landing Farm and Tallawah Farms that will provide fresh, locally-grown produce for inclusion in school lunches, system-wide. Local crops began appearing on lunch menus during Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week; an element of the Maryland Farm to School Program administered by the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) with the goal of sourcing locally-produced foods into school meals. SCPS, in collaboration with the University of Maryland Extension’s SNAP-Ed program, prepared and served a salad made with locally sourced callaloo as the debut menu item for Homegrown School Lunch Week.
Native to the Caribbean, callaloo is a dark leafy green served in a variety of ways in Jamaican cuisine. Christine Main, Maryland SNAP-Ed Project Leader and Nutrition Educator for Somerset County, trained SCPS’ Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) staff prior to the start of the school year, introducing them to the local crop through handling and experimenting with different recipes. The collaboration resulted in the creation of the Tropical Somerset Salad; a healthy and child-friendly menu option made with callaloo, craisins and diced pineapple. The Maryland SNAP-Ed program provided bistro signs and neon chalk markers to FNS staff to market the new menu item to students.
SCPS Food and Nutrition Services District Manager, Mr. David Scott shared, “Washington and Crisfield Academy & High School cafeterias will soon have salad bars featuring local cucumbers and cherry tomatoes from Wood Duck Landing Farm, in addition to callaloo from Tallawah Farms. We are proud to participate in the Maryland Farm to School program and to partner with local farmers in the Somerset community. Not only do we get to support local business owners, but we are also exposing our students to a variety of fresh foods and ways to prepare locally-sourced produce with help from the Maryland SNAP-Ed program.”
Students at Princess Anne Elementary School are offered the Tropical Somerset Salad as they move through the lunch line.
Christine Main, Maryland SNAP-Ed Project Leader and Nutrition Educator for Somerset County, carries a tray of Tropical Somerset Salads for students to try at Princess Anne Elementary School’s recent Homegrown School Lunch Week tasting event.
A student at Princess Anne Elementary School tries the Tropical Somerset Salad made with locally sourced produce through a farm-to-school partnership announced during Homegrown School Lunch Week 2023.
Colorful display boards & neon chalk markers provided through the Maryland SNAP-Ed Program market the new Tropical Somerset Salad to students in the lunch line.
(L-R) Christine Main, Maryland SNAP-Ed Project Leader and Nutrition Educator for Somerset County, Dr. Nadine Burton, Owner - Tallawah Farms, Lisa Lachenmayr, Director - Maryland SNAP-Ed, Michael Edwards, Owner – Wood Duck Landing Farm, Christa Taylor, Principal – Princess Anne Elementary School
Michael Edwards of Wood Duck Landing Farm and Dr. Nadine Burton of Tallawah Farms were invited to Princess Anne Elementary School during Homegrown School Lunch Week; joining students for a tasting of the Tropical Somerset Salad and to celebrate the new partnership providing fresh local produce to SCPS cafeterias.