In a town the size of Red Lodge, it’s easy to feel like you know everyone. I’ve often connected with other service members in small towns about the difficulty of getting anywhere on time because inevitably you will stop to talk to someone along the way. Despite the delays sometimes, I love running into parents; … Continued

There’s nothing more satisfying than hearing a student proclaim, “This is DELICIOUS,” with a mouth dyed bright pink from a beet smoothie, or watching them devour the roots and the greens of a raw baby turnip without being prompted. As a FoodCorps Service Member at Magnolia Speech School, a specialized school for children with communication … Continued

Written by James Tolleson, service member in Greenwood On December 2, 2013, a group of farmers, food service staff, educators, community organizers and others gathered in Pearl, Mississippi, for the 2nd Annual Mississippi Farm To Cafeteria Conference, hosted by the Mississippi Food Policy Council. After the conference, I caught up with Rose Tate, a Mississippi Delta-Native and … Continued

“Hey! You are the teacher that helps us not to be afraid of trying new foods!” I hear these words from a sweet five year old girl, “Alice.” She is proudly holding a piece of pear in her hand as I mill through the lunch room, encouraging students to try our new menu item, tabbouleh. … Continued

“All hail kale!” we cheered with our forks raised before chomping down on bites of kale salad. It was my second class of the day with the fifth graders at Ronan Middle School, who had just finished making three variations of Massaged Kale Salad: Basic, Greek, and Spice it Up. After the salads were ready, … Continued

“It looks like a baby alien!” “A space ship!” “A forest of mini Christmas trees!” Those were just a few of the remarks I heard when I arrived at Traverse Heights Elementary School in Traverse City to promote the locally grown produce being served in the cafeteria.