Gardening and Sustainable Living
“A study at a juvenile rehabilitation center in southwestern Ohio with a gardening program showed that horticulture therapy helped the kids see themselves in a more positive light and helped them better manage their emotional and behavioral problems. Much of the science behind just how gardening affects the mind and brain still remains a mystery. What scientists do know is that gardening reduces stress and calms the nerves. It decreases cortisol, a hormone that plays a role in stress response. Horticulture therapy offers at least one big advantage for the kids: The garden setting never changes. This gives them ample time to connect with their surroundings and feel at home.”
– Kristofor Husted/The SALT
There will be a large garden on the property. A portion of the food served at the school will be home grown, teaching self-reliance, discipline and a look into the renewable aspects of life that we all can do for ourselves
and for others in our community.
There will also be an outreach program dedicated to locally grown foods. The Production Farm will make as many connections with neighboring farms as possible in order to help boost local productivity and help with community relationships.
If you are a locally owned market, farm, farmers market, etc, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us and introduce yourself.
There will also be an outreach program dedicated to locally grown foods. The Production Farm will make as many connections with neighboring farms as possible in order to help boost local productivity and help with community relationships.
If you are a locally owned market, farm, farmers market, etc, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us and introduce yourself.
Healthy Meals
All meals served on the Farm will follow the guidelines of the Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, based on:
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 17 / Thursday, January 26, 2012 / Rules and Regulations
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
7 CFR Parts 210 and 220
[FNS–2007–0038]
RIN 0584–AD59
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 17 / Thursday, January 26, 2012 / Rules and Regulations
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
7 CFR Parts 210 and 220
[FNS–2007–0038]
RIN 0584–AD59
- Offer fruits and vegetables as two separate meal components;
- Offer fruit daily at breakfast and lunch;
- Offer vegetables daily at lunch, including specific vegetable subgroups weekly (dark green, orange, legumes, and other as defined in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines) and a limited quantity of starchy vegetables throughout the week;
- Offer whole grains: half of the grains would be whole grain-rich upon implementation of the rule and all grains would be whole-grain rich two years post implementation;
- Offer a daily meat/meat alternate at breakfast;
- Offer fluid milk that is fat-free (unflavored and flavored) and low-fat (unflavored only);
- Offer meals that meet specific calorie ranges for each age/grade group;
- Reduce the sodium content of meals gradually over a 10-year period through two intermediate sodium targets at two and four years post implementation;
- Prepare meals using food products or ingredients that contain zero grams of trans fat per serving;
- Require students to select a fruit or a vegetable as part of the reimbursable meal;
- Use a single food-based menu planning approach; and
- Use narrower age/grade groups for menu planning.
- Review school lunches and breakfasts every 3 years, consistent with the HHFKA.
Meats/Meat Alternates
Offer a meat/meat alternate at lunch and breakfast daily to meet weekly requirements. Solicit comments on whether or not the meat/meat alternate component should include the three protein food subgroups recommended by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines: (1) Seafood; (2) meat, poultry, and eggs; and (3) nuts, seeds, and soy products. Solicit comments on whether or not tofu should be an allowable meat alternate and a methodology for crediting commercially prepared tofu.
Fluid Milk
Offer plain or flavored fat-free milk and unflavored low-fat milk (1 percent milk fat or less), and include variety that is consistent with Dietary Guidelines recommendations.
Milk Substitutes
If a school chooses to offer one or more substitutes for fluid milk for non-disabled students with medical or special dietary needs, the nondairy beverage(s) must provide the nutrients listed in the following table. Milk substitutes must be fortified in accordance with fortification guidelines issued by the Food and Drug Administration. A school need only offer the nondairy beverage(s) that it has identified as allowable fluid milk substitutes according to this paragraph:
Nutrient Per cup
Calcium ....................................... 276 mg.
Protein ........................................ 8 g.
Vitamin A .................................... 500 IU.
Vitamin D .................................... 100 IU.
Magnesium ................................. 24 mg.
Phosphorus ................................. 222 mg.
Potassium ................................... 349 mg.
Riboflavin .................................... 0.44 mg.
Vitamin B–12 .............................. 1.1 mcg.
Whole Grains
The whole grains per serving (based on minimum serving sizes specified for grains/breads in FNS guidance) must be ≥ 8 grams. Whole-wheat flour, oatmeal, whole cornmeal, and brown rice are a source of nutrients such as iron, magnesium, selenium, B vitamins, and dietary fiber. Evidence suggests that eating whole grains in nutrient dense forms may lower body weight and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Saturated Fat
Offer lunches and breakfasts that supply, on average over the school week, less than 10 percent of total calories from saturated fat.
Sodium
Offer lunches and breakfasts that supply, on average over the school week, no more than the maximum sodium levels set for each age/grade group. Meet the intermediate sodium targets (two and four years post implementation of the rule), and the final sodium targets (ten years post implementation of the rule; changes represent a sodium reduction of approximately 25–50 percent in breakfasts and lunches). Meeting the final sodium targets will enable schools to offer meals that reflect the 2010 Dietary Guidelines’ recommendation to limit sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day.
Meal Pattern for School Breakfasts
A school must offer the food components and quantities required in the breakfast meal pattern established in the following table:
Offer a meat/meat alternate at lunch and breakfast daily to meet weekly requirements. Solicit comments on whether or not the meat/meat alternate component should include the three protein food subgroups recommended by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines: (1) Seafood; (2) meat, poultry, and eggs; and (3) nuts, seeds, and soy products. Solicit comments on whether or not tofu should be an allowable meat alternate and a methodology for crediting commercially prepared tofu.
Fluid Milk
Offer plain or flavored fat-free milk and unflavored low-fat milk (1 percent milk fat or less), and include variety that is consistent with Dietary Guidelines recommendations.
Milk Substitutes
If a school chooses to offer one or more substitutes for fluid milk for non-disabled students with medical or special dietary needs, the nondairy beverage(s) must provide the nutrients listed in the following table. Milk substitutes must be fortified in accordance with fortification guidelines issued by the Food and Drug Administration. A school need only offer the nondairy beverage(s) that it has identified as allowable fluid milk substitutes according to this paragraph:
Nutrient Per cup
Calcium ....................................... 276 mg.
Protein ........................................ 8 g.
Vitamin A .................................... 500 IU.
Vitamin D .................................... 100 IU.
Magnesium ................................. 24 mg.
Phosphorus ................................. 222 mg.
Potassium ................................... 349 mg.
Riboflavin .................................... 0.44 mg.
Vitamin B–12 .............................. 1.1 mcg.
Whole Grains
The whole grains per serving (based on minimum serving sizes specified for grains/breads in FNS guidance) must be ≥ 8 grams. Whole-wheat flour, oatmeal, whole cornmeal, and brown rice are a source of nutrients such as iron, magnesium, selenium, B vitamins, and dietary fiber. Evidence suggests that eating whole grains in nutrient dense forms may lower body weight and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Saturated Fat
Offer lunches and breakfasts that supply, on average over the school week, less than 10 percent of total calories from saturated fat.
Sodium
Offer lunches and breakfasts that supply, on average over the school week, no more than the maximum sodium levels set for each age/grade group. Meet the intermediate sodium targets (two and four years post implementation of the rule), and the final sodium targets (ten years post implementation of the rule; changes represent a sodium reduction of approximately 25–50 percent in breakfasts and lunches). Meeting the final sodium targets will enable schools to offer meals that reflect the 2010 Dietary Guidelines’ recommendation to limit sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day.
Meal Pattern for School Breakfasts
A school must offer the food components and quantities required in the breakfast meal pattern established in the following table:
Calories
Offer lunches and breakfasts that supply, on average over the school week, a number of calories that is within the established minimum and maximum levels for each age/grade group.
CALORIE RANGES FOR BREAKFAST—EFFECTIVE SY 2013–2014
Grades 9–12 Minimum-maximum calories (kcal) 450–600
Offer lunches and breakfasts that supply, on average over the school week, a number of calories that is within the established minimum and maximum levels for each age/grade group.
CALORIE RANGES FOR BREAKFAST—EFFECTIVE SY 2013–2014
Grades 9–12 Minimum-maximum calories (kcal) 450–600
