Served Digizine™- Farm to School

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Co-Creators & Co-Editors Amanda & Marlon Say

Happy

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Month!

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So this month, I urge you. Pick up the phone and make a call to a local farmer, producer, bakery, pizza purveyor. • Have an open mind on what might be available • Be ready to discuss pickup and delivery to your locations • Consider additional labor that may be necessary to process product • Get creative on menu items (Ask the experts! You have them on the phone already!) • Capitalize on your local procurement and share successes with your community • Take heart in your support of local farmers and pride in your operation’s incorporation of local products FUN FACT! Did you know that farmers have to monitor fields 24/7 especially overnight? Many have apps that alert them to critical changes in soil moisture, calculate irrigation, air humidity, and monitor weather.Technology at work. There truly is an app for everything!

We are pleased as a peach to be bringing you this month’s edition of Served digizine. Firstly, we say “Thank you.” We truly love our farmers. It is only through their painstaking efforts that we have the means to serve students meals. There is no time during which I, as a food service director, have had a greater appreciation for our farmers and their critical part in our nation’s supply chain. As fulfillment percentages decrease, the cost of goods rise, and delivery dates are delayed, I reflect on the system of food distribution throughout our society and long for the days of plenty. Farmers have long understood their lack of control over nature. Their reactive approach to crop maintenance, pest control, and weather is something that we (at the end of the supply chain) are being forced to embrace. No longer is it a preference of one brand or formulation over another, but a question of what is in stock. What can you guarantee that I will have on hand to feed our students? I’ll take that! In light of the current situation and in preparation for those who predict, “It will get worse before it gets better,” I am focused on securing and utilizing our local farmers and businesses more than ever. These are times for creative solutions to supply chain issues and for some of us, we are lucky to have direct access to food production locally. These folks would previously be unable to compete on our bids which prioritize price. Now, availability and delivery dates are the reigning factor. Plus, we have more money! Let’s take this boon of SFSP reimbursement rates and roll it into local products.

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Teamwork.

| Sarah@NxtGenNetwork.com | Digital Editor Sarah Kolcheck

| Amanda@NxtGenNetwork.com | Co-Creator Co-Editor Amanda Venezia

| Marlon@NxtGenNetwork.com | Co-Creator Co-Editor Marlon Gordon

| Melissa@NxtGenNetwork.com | Co-Creator Creative Director Melissa Mayer

| Breanna@NxtGenNetwork.com | Assistant Editor Breanna Gustafson

A special Thank You to the Mollor Family who welcomed us to harvest cranberries on their bog in Middleborough, MA. Adrienne showed us the hard work and dedication it takes to be a farmer and

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Served Digizine™ is a publication of First Taste TV and NxtGen Network. Served Digizine™ is releasedmonthly for a total of 12 issues annually. This publication is free of charge to our subscribers and can be opted-out at anytime. Copyright 2021 Served Digizine™, First Taste TV, and NxtGen Network. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Opinions and advertisements in themagazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent management views. The digizine is not responsible for unsolicitedmanuscripts and photographs, or any errors or omissions that might occur.

why cranberries float! Check out next month’s edition of Served for the full video of our time in the bog.

- Amanda -

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