In light of Simple, Good, and Tasty's recent article about our national school lunch program, I want to share some great news about school lunches for the kids in Colorado's 28,000 student Boulder Valley School District (BVSD): thanks to a recent partnership with Organic Valley, the milk will be organic. Here's an excerpt from their press release:
"School lunch programs across the nation need to make fundamental changes to improve the health and well-being of our children. Unfortunately, public schools are one of the last places where organic milk is usually found," said Chef Ann Cooper, the "Renegade Lunch Lady" and interim BVSD nutrition director. "Not only is organic milk produced without antibiotics, synthetic pesticides and hormones, making it healthier for growing children, but Organic Valley milk is healthier for our local community because it's produced by local family farmers."
"We give the Boulder Valley School District an A+ for its commitment to ensure its students are served the highest-quality food from local, sustainable sources," said George Siemon, one of the founding farmers and chief executive officer for Organic Valley. "Organic Valley has been a pioneer in helping reform school lunches, and our farmer-owners are excited to be partnering with a forward-thinking school district that's redefining traditional school lunch programs."
The "School Food Project" is a public-private partnership whose goal is to improve the health, nutrition and taste of school lunches. Organic Valley began providing its milk to BVSD on August 18, 2009, where it is available to students via lunch line dispensers.
This is a fantastic step in the right direction for students, ensuring that they get organic milk from good local sources. I'm hopeful that this is the first of many such committments and partnerships across the nation. Our kids deserve it.
For more information, you can read the entire Organic Valley press release here.
