USA - RHODE ISLAND: Cumberland High School Grows Its Own Greens For School Lunches District-Wide
Students in Cumberland Schools need not ask questions when it comes to some of their food served in their cafeteria, because the leafy greens they eat are grown right behind Cumberland High School.
CUMBERLAND, R.I. (WJAR) — Students in Cumberland Schools need not ask questions when it comes to some of their food served in their cafeteria, because the leafy greens they eat are grown right behind Cumberland High School.
A large, green shipping container that contains a garden full of greens inside, sits behind the cafeteria.
Installed in 2017 by 'Freight Farm,' a lot of work went into getting it up and running.
For a little more than two years, vegetables and greens were grown and used for school lunches.
Cumberland was the first district to bring the container-to-table model to their school lunch rooms.
When the pandemic happened, and schools were forced to close their doors, so did the container.
For a few years, the garden sat vacant, and when Shana DiPetrillo became the operations manager for Sodexo, with her clients being Cumberland Schools, she made it her mission to get it back up and running.
“My job is formulating the menu for all the schools, in the Cumberland school district that includes building menus, coming up with creative ideas for kids to have fun with school lunch," said DiPetrillo. “I think that a lot of students from all over the state don’t realize where their food comes from."
In hopes of changing that, DiPetrillo led the way to get the Freight Farm back up and running.
Since times had changed, and new technology was needed, she developed a friendship with Rob Mudge of Franklin Farms, who has acted as her right-hand-man when it comes to everything needed to make the system work.
“It’s an automated facility Freight Farm actually sends this to you pre-built, and what happens is you pretty much have to program the unit to run automated so everything that you see here, the lights, the watering, everything is automated," said DePetrillo. "Rob is amazing. He has been such a big help. When something isn't working, I call him."
Shana DiPetrillo, the operations manager for Sodexo, spoke with NBC 10's Sam Read. (WJAR)
In the summer of 2022, things started getting back on track.
“It’s been a huge push to have students realize that a lot of the food that comes to your tray is not processed in some far out facility, a lot of it is really local," said DiPetrillo. “You can’t get more local than something in your backyard.”
Each day, DiPetrillo harvests greens from the container.
She seeds them according to the student's schedules so there's enough for the district.
For example, when students go on break, she plants fewer seeds than when they are in school.
On average, the greens grow in about two to three weeks.
“We actually build all of our salads daily from the crop that we pull from here at the high school and we also grow herbs," said DiPetrillo. “We have our first crop of basil and cilantro, which is not probably exciting to everyone, but it’s exciting to us. We do grow our microgreens. We have all different types of romaine, spring mixes, we’ve done kale in the past, we have really good luck with romaines and baby greens."
According to DiPetrillo, the Freight Farm's harvest covers almost all of the greens used for lunches in the district.
She's able to make about 150 salads a week with greens she picks each morning.
A shipping container outside of Cumberland High School. (WJAR)
“They’re also featured on the toppings bar for burgers, so even if you’re not having a salad every day, you’re actually able to top your burger or your chicken sandwich with fresh greens from the farm, and the kids really do enjoy it, especially the high school kids. They completely understand the concept, they know where the unit is, so they get excited when they see new crops coming in."
DiPetrillo said when there's been recalls on lettuce, her district's lunches have not been affected.
“That’s not something we have to worry about, the greens in here are all natural, they're organic, there's no chemicals added so really you’re getting a product that you would get at a Whole Foods or like a super high-end supermarket," she said. “Having a fresh green on your tray every day, it's great. It's full of vitamin C, vitamin D there’s so many benefits, especially getting something so fresh. I literally pick it in the morning and it’s in their salad in the afternoon so it’s huge.”
The goal now is to get students and staff involved in the daily operation.
Student lunches for Cumberland High School made with produce grown in the shipping container. (WJAR)
Cumberland High School has a Hydroponics Program, and DiPetrillo thinks it would be perfect for them.
She also believes something like this could work wonders at any school district in Rhode Island.
Sodexo is also running a Freight Farm in West Warwick.
“I think that sometimes school lunch gets a bad wrap like as being like an easy, convenience food or being easy to make, but you know part of my passion, and what I’m I’m pushing for, is when you eat at school you know you’re getting a well balanced nutritious meal, that’s not only something that’s made right here in your school, but it’s also growing here too.”