at the Farmers’ Market on Wednesday and Friday. A school food service staff member picks up and delivers the produce to all of the school cafeterias, where paid staff and volunteer parents set up the salad bar.
The Sustainable City Plan’s goal is to preserve California’s small farms by encouraging consumption of locally grown produce, said Laura Avery, manager of the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market. Ripeness is lost when food is sent through wholesale central channels, and the school gardens have taught students to notice that difference in taste, she said.
Avery added that kids involved with the school gardens are more likely to ask about their food now rather than just shrugging and eating something.
Use of the salad bars are the highest at the elementary schools, said Orlando Griego, the district’s nutrition director, primarily because they are a captive audience. He cited Will Rogers, John Muir, Grant and McKinley elementary schools as having the highest salad bar sales.
On the high school level, Richwein painted a bleaker picture.
“Unfortunately, salad bar sales have not taken off like we would like to see,” she said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 2, 2004. Read the original PDF.