Going Green in the Cafe

Greens Spotted in the Cafeteria

by Abby Johnson

The greens growing in the CMHS cafeteria caught the students' attention this school year.

In the cafeteria of CMHS, there is a cart with multiple trays of plants and vegetables growing underneath fluorescent lights. Students like Junior Ashleigh Johnson questioned the purpose of the plants.

Johnson said, “I think it’s a great idea for a school like us to grow these greens. I think that it will give the students a new outlook on what they are eating because their vegetables are growing right in front of them.”

“Our grow system enables us to control our harvest and grow when the students are in school which makes it highly sustainable,” Director of Food Services and Nutrition at CMHS, Theresa Vernazzaro said. “This terraponic system enables us to grow sustainable organic produce using a primitive soil system. This means all the ingredients in the soil such as minerals, bacteria, fungi and worms are added to the soil without resorting to using chemicals and pollutants often found in traditional growing mediums.”

Carver was one of seven schools chosen in the Massachusetts Farm to School Institute. This program gives students the opportunity to farm their own crops, and use them for things like school lunches.

“...knowing you did the work to grow the food gives you a new appreciation to the connection of food as well as the environmental impact,” Vernazzaro said.

That being said, students can also get excited about the new smoothies and salad bowls stemming from the plants.

Carver Middle High School Growing Their Own Vegetables

By: Ava McElroy

The cafeteria staff at Carver Middle High School is growing vegetables in the cafeteria to create fresh and nutritious food for students' lunches. With the vegetables grown, they are making salads and “green” smoothies.

“All the ingredients in the soil such as minerals, bacteria, fungi and worms are added to the soil without resorting to using chemicals and pollutants often found in traditional growing mediums,” said Theresa Vernazzaro, the Food Service Director. The cafeteria staff is using their own garden to benefit from knowing where their vegetables are coming from and how fresh they truly are.

“Carver Public Schools was recently selected as participants in the 2021-2022 Massachusetts Farm to School Institute. The Institute helps facilitate the values of our school district in engaging the students through experiential education in the complete circle of food production from seed to consumption with students participating in each stage,” said Vernazzaro. Vernazzoro hopes to continue this program each year to impact the students as well as the environment.

“There is nothing more powerful than choosing to make lifelong healthy and sustainable choices.

Knowing you did the work to grow the food gives you a new appreciation to the connection of

food as well as the environmental impact,” said Vernazzaro.

“Living a healthier lifestyle is a better choice for everybody, I think it is good to grow something natural,” said senior student Isley Costa. Costa has heard about the program from several teachers, and he has also seen it in the cafeteria. He hopes to see a larger variety in fruits, vegetables, and spices.