SUCCESS STORY:

KIPP Austin is now offering a selection of locally and organically grown produce in our school meals! As part of our relationship with the Sustainable Food Center, they have connected us with Austin and Central Texas organic farmers to make organic produce available to students. And to make the reach further, our own cater is working with us to purchase fruits, vegetables and herbs as often as possible from these farmers.

At KIPP Austin, we have many students to feed, twice a day, every day, so if we can get even one local, organic item per week we will still be miles ahead of most of the school food service departments in the country. And the benefits of eating locally are many!  The money we spend on our exceptional school food is now even more valuable in that more of it will filter back in to our local economy.  Additionally, food that doesn’t travel thousands of miles in refrigerated trucks, planes and cargo ships means that the food is left in the ground, on the vine or limb longer, thereby maintaining more of its valuable nutrients. And when food doesn’t travel far, there are fewer emissions and less fuel is used.

And, most important for our work at KIPP Austin, our students can begin to have a better understanding of and a stronger connection to their food and where it comes from.  They can begin to taste for themselves the delicious difference between fresh food in its natural state and processed food that comes wrapped in a package.  They can develop a respect for the incredibly challenging work of being a farmer.