CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Chesterfield County Public Schools' Nutrition Services Department is offering free lunches for children under 18 this summer at the Chesterfield Farmers Market — and the meals come with a side of education.
The program runs every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. near the Chesterfield County Government Complex through Aug. 6. Adults can also purchase meals at the market.
Casey Dickinson, assistant director of CCPS Food and Nutrition Services, is leading the effort.
"We prepare scratch-made meals and we also procure the majority of our products locally, so about 80 to 90% of what's on the tray is within 200 miles of Chesterfield," Dickinson said.
Beyond the food, each week features a lesson designed to connect children with where their meals come from. This month, the program brought in a mobile dairy classroom in recognition of National Farm to School Month.
"Each time we try to provide a lesson that connects with who our guest is and so today we have the mobile dairy classroom because this month is National Farm to school this month," said Roni Lapelle, a marketing specialist with the program.
Dickinson said the educational component is just as important as the nutrition.
"Kids don't know where their food comes from and so being able to show our kids exactly where food comes from, but also the connection to local farmers," Dickinson said.
Elizabeth Tolson, a Chesterfield mother who brings her children to the program, said the experience has made a lasting impression on her family.
"They have these books, 'How Did That Get in My Lunchbox,' about where all of these different components of meals are made. We have two of these from last year and we still read them, so they get to learn about how the food is grown on the farm and how it gets packaged and given to them, and these are local farmers' ingredients in the meals here, which is great," Tolson said.
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