COLUMBIA, Mo. – The first Farm to School Mid-Missouri Road Trip, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on July 31, will help food service directors, chefs and others learn how to meet the growing demand for healthy food.
During the tour, decision-makers for schools, nursing homes and other institutions will learn how to obtain and buy locally grown food, said University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist Jim Quinn.
MU Extension and the Missouri Department of Agriculture lined up an air-conditioned bus to visit growers and sellers in mid-Missouri, Quinn said.
Stops include Clarksburg Elementary School, the Central Missouri Produce Auction, Troutdale Farm and the Cole County Farmers Market in Jefferson City. A lunch featuring local foods is at Seven Springs Winery. The final stop is a visit with brothers Ben and Alex Paulsmeyer, who sell produce as the “Boys From Chamois.” They will discuss how products like their sweet corn and watermelons might be purchased by schools.
Quinn and Lindsey Jones of MDA’s Farm to School program will provide insights and discussion during the tour, which begins at 8 a.m. at the Cole County Farmers Market in the parking lot of the Jefferson City Kmart, 2304 Missouri Blvd.
The demand for healthy food spurs a robust economic boost for communities, Quinn said. USDA reports that local food sales have grown from about $5 billion in 2008 to $11.7 billion in 2014.
To register, send a $25 check or money order, payable to Seven Springs, to Lindsey Jones, Farm to School coordinator, Missouri Department of Agriculture, 1616 Missouri Blvd., Jefferson City, MO 65102. Registration deadline is July 24.
For more information, contact Quinn at 573-634-2824 or [email protected], or Jones at 573-751-5019 or [email protected].
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