The lunch trays moving down the lines at LPCSC schools are full of local flavor with the partnership between the district and various regional food suppliers.

Local Foods to Schools is a grant sponsored by the USDA and the Indiana Department of Health that the LaPorte Community Schools applied for and received last school year. This grant permits the corporation to purchase produce from local producers anywhere within a few miles to 100 miles at a fair market value. To qualify for this grant, the school district must have 50% or more students participating in free and reduced lunch or be considered a community eligibility provision.

The NWI produce distributor is Region Roots Local Farm and Food Hub, a nonprofit organization operated through the NWI Food Council. Region Roots connects directly with Indiana farmers and delivers produce to LaPorte schools.

Leading the charge is Cindy Vondra, director of food services at LPCSC schools for the last five years. Vondra sees countless benefits in the partnerships and the program.

The program allows LaPorte to offer students a variety of fruits, vegetables, and meats. LaPorte recently introduced Harvest Corner, which provides students with the opportunity to sample fresh foods and receive fun facts about the items they are trying.

Depending on what is in season, Region Roots purchases produce through Ancilla Beef and Grain Farm, Baby Greens Family Farm, Blomstergard Farm and Flower, Edaphon Farm, Fischers Farm, Garwood Orchards, Green Trail Farms, Hickory Hills Flower Farm, Howe Farms, Kankakee Valley Homestead, Lane’s End Farm, and many more.

“I’m grateful that our corporation gets to benefit from the opportunity to get fresh produce as local as we can, and I appreciate that they’ve set up the program to help us maneuver and find our way to the farmer. Them helping us make this connection, even if the grant ends next year, opens up the door where we can still go to these farmers and procure them and be able to utilize their product,” Vondra said.

According to the NWI Food Council, in the 2023-24 school year, Region Roots directed over $600,000 in sales to local farmers, and LaPorte Community Schools received $18,000 worth of local foods. This school year, since September 1, Region Roots has already distributed $82,000 in sales to local farmers with $7,000 coming directly from LaPorte schools.

Every week, the lunch staff visits a website where they can see what produce is available and can order directly from. After the produce is purchased, delivery trucks come to the Kesling campus, and LaPorte employees distribute it to other schools in the corporation.

Students have noticed the difference and have truly enjoyed the changes in the cafeteria.

“I love school lunch because of the variety of options. I know that if I were to make a home lunch I would be eating basically the same thing every day. School lunch is very convenient, and I know that if I was eating food from home I would not bring food that’s very good for me, so when I get school lunch I know I'll get a good balance of fruits and proteins. And school lunch is really good!” senior Faith Spain said.

As the trays continue moving down the lines in LPCSC schools, the hope is that local foods continue to overflow and feed Slicer students.