Amid continuing questions over safety of food supply,
RCS looks local for cafeteria food

Effort reduces carbon usage, provides organic foods and helps area businesses

Students in the RCS school district are helping the environment when they eat – and they don’t even know it.

In an era when the 100-mile diet is popular and individuals are encouraged to reduce their carbon finger print on the environment by eating food produced locally, the RCS school district is doing its part, purchasing locally produced foods whenever possible.

Food Services Director George Dardani said that whenever possible he purchases locally produced food for the 2,300 students served in RCS’ four cafeterias.

Of course, a side benefit is that local businesses benefit from the food purchases made by RCS.

 “I like to shop local, help the local farmer out and provide fresher and more nutritious food for our students,” he said.

Dardani said local purchases include tomatoes, potatoes, carrots apples and other produce.

“The farms we use are also organic – they use as little chemicals as possible,” noted Dardani.

At the same time, environmentalists have been pushing the population to eat food that is grown close to home to reduce the pollution associated with transporting food.

During National School Lunch Week (Oct. 15-19), schools across the country are promoting healthy eating and healthy school meals. Dardani said that efforts to provide locally produced food are a key ingredient to a healthy diet for RCS students.