Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>]

Chefs and parents plot a lunch revolution at one D.C. public school
by Ed Bruske 21 Jul 2010 4:00 AM
http://www.grist.org/article/food-chefs-and-parents-plot-lunch-revolution-at-D.C.-public-school/

A group of prominent Washington, D.C.-area restaurant chefs has volunteered 
to introduce a novel concept in school-food service to one Capitol Hill 
elementary school: collaborating with parents to take over kitchen operations 
on a nonprofit basis, replacing the prepackaged, reheated factory meals that 
Tyler Elementary kids currently eat with food cooked from scratch, served on 
real plates with real cutlery.

Led by Cathal Armstrong, chef and owner of Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, Va., 
the group would undo the historically knotty issue of school food finances by 
putting parents to work in the cafeteria as voluteers, and using the savings 
in labor to buy better food, much of it from local growers. The proposal has 
been approved by D.C. Public Schools' food services division but is still 
being reviewed by the procurement division -- meaning much paperwork, red 
tape, and potential snags remain between now and August 23, when classes 
resume.

Cathal Armstrong on a visit to TylerChef Cathal Armstrong on a recent visit 
to TylerArmstrong, who was a 2009 James Beard nominee for "Best Mid-Atlantic 
Chef," is an outspoken advocate of fresh, local foods. He sits on the board 
of Fresh Farm Markets, which operates several farmers markets in the city. 
His involvement with Tyler Elementary stems from a meeting last year with 
White House assistant chef and food advisory Sam Kass, whose title was 
recently upgrade to senior policy adviser For Healthy Food Initiatives. This 
appears to be the first time that First Lady Michelle Obama's anti-obesity 
campaign has extended its reach into a school food service operation.