Montgomery County Schools join Kentucky Proud

The school nutrition director took it upon herself to get fresh local produce onto students' plates

By TED SLOAN, Kentucky Agricultural News

Montgomery County school children get farm-fresh fruits and vegetables at the school cafeterias thanks to the efforts of Julie Tuttle, the school system’s school nutrition director. Other school districts serve local produce, but Montgomery County is the first school district in the state to join the Kentucky Proud movement.

“I have a background in vocational education, and my father [Ron Catchen] is the county agriculture Extension agent, so I felt that we needed to make this happen in our school district.” Tuttle explained. “We need to support our local farmers.”

Tuttle’s efforts helped three Montgomery County schools – Camargo, Mapleton and Mt. Sterling elementary schools – earn Gold Awards in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s HealthierUS School Challenge. Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer and Dr. Janey Thornton, a Kentucky native and deputy under secretary of the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, honored the schools in a ceremony Oct. 6 at Mt. Sterling Elementary.

The schools buy produce from three local producers – Arnold’s Greenhouse, Bramble Ridge Orchard and the Girod family. The producers supply cantaloupe, watermelon, tomatoes, green peppers, apples and corn in season. Other Kentucky Proud products are used in the school nutrition catering program.

Tuttle collects the produce from the participating farms and delivers it to the schools as she makes her regular visits to the school cafeterias.

Pictures of the local farms and the Kentucky Proud logo are displayed prominently in the serving line at the county school cafeterias.

Third graders recently celebrated Fruity Tooty Veggie Weggie Try It Day, in which they sampled local apples, local yellow pear tomatoes, frozen commodity strawberries and jicama. Tuttle works with the health department to provide the “lunch-and-learn” activity.

Tuttle started the local food program last year with apples from Bramble Ridge Orchard and expanded it this year. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Tina Garland helped connect Tuttle with the Girod farm family.

“Now that we have some experience, we’ll be able to project better what [foods] the kids are taking,” Tuttle said.