Chartwells Promotes

Locally Grown Produce

Dan Shields, RD, foodservice director for Chartwells in Newtown, and Jill Patterson, RD, resident dietitian for Chartwells in Newtown, stood together  in the Reed Intermediate School cafetorium on Tuesday, September 22, with locally grown produce and Connecticut Farm maps before them.

All last week Chartwells School Dining Services, Newtown’s food service provider, partnered with Ferrari Farm in Glastonbury to promote locally grown produce across the state to create awareness of the many health benefits of eating well and buying local, according to Chartwells.

All week, according to Mr Shields and Ms Patterson, Chartwells recognized locally grown produce in its schools. At Reed Intermediate and Newtown High School specifically locally grown produce, like corn on the cob and cider, were featured in the cafeterias on Tuesday. 

According to Chartwells, the promotion was part of the “It Takes You — Eat Local” event.

For the week, the Newtown School District served nearly 30 cases of fresh, local produce, and all area school cafeterias had access to locally grown produce such as apples, tomatoes, corn, peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, cabbage and eggplants, when in season. 

 The hope, according to Chartwells, is by supporting local farmers today, farms continue to thrive in local communities tomorrow, and that future generations of students will have access to nourishing and flavorful fruits and vegetables.

“We are excited to help educate students about the benefits of choosing locally grown foods, to be able to offer Connecticut Farm Maps to Reed Intermediate School students, which were provided to us by the Connecticut State Department of Agriculture,” said Ms Patterson.