LM Apr 2025

Cobden and Murphysboro School Districts Engaging in

Farm-to-School Initiative

By Matthew Hickam Regional Superintendent ROE #30 Dr. Julie Bullard Professional Development Coordinator for ROE #30

Lunch is often a memorable part of the school day, whether it’s socializing with friends, enjoying the food or simply taking a break. Some schools are enhancing this experience by incorporating locally sourced, scratch made foods through a farm-to-school initiative. Leveraging State Grant Through a Farm-to-School Formula Grant from the Illinois State Board of Education, the Regional Office of Education #30 (ROE #30) has partnered with Cobden Unit School District #17 and Murphysboro Community Unit School District #186 to improve the food offered in their schools. The grant enables these districts to use scratch cooking, participate in training and connect with local food sourc es. This initiative began in August 2024 when Regional Superintendent Matthew Hickam, along with superinten dents Edwin Shoemate of Cobden and Dr. Andrea Evers of Murphysboro, began exploring ways to incorporate local food in school cafeterias.

The farm-to-school program has several key goals: identi fying local farmers and suppliers, building supplier-buy er networks and expanding the market for local foods in schools—all while meeting National School Lunch Program requirements and district budgets. Cobden and Murphys boro focused on adding locally grown, scratch-cooked meals to their menus. Staff from both districts underwent training with Beyond Green Food Partners, a consulting company that promotes scratch cooking, local sourcing, and zero waste. Despite initial concerns, both school dis tricts have seen positive results. Cobden head cook Paula Hall noted the significant increase in teacher participation in the meal program as meals made from scratch rose to 29% by December 2024. Murphysboro’s Food Service Director Georgia Marshall emphasized the need for logistical adjustments, such as reevaluating schedules and working with the local health department to accommodate large-scale cooking. In-ser vice training helped the staff track and store local foods, improving their confidence in food preparation.

4 LM April 2025