St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS) will celebrate Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week during the week of September 30 through October 4, 2019. During this week, Benjamin Banneker Elementary School will be hosting our annual celebration, which will include visits from local farmers and local food featured in the cafeteria.
In addition to the local produce and meats being featured during this week, we will also be serving local Blue Catfish in partnership with the University of Maryland Extension Office and
the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Blue Catfish is a healthy and nutritious fish. It is also considered an invasive species and is negatively affecting our local waterways. By serving Blue Catfish in our cafeterias, students will enjoy good food and St. Mary’s County Public Schools will help keep the Chesapeake Bay healthy!
Various community partners will be assisting the SMCPS Department of Food and Nutrition Services to engage students in activities all day. The University of Maryland Extension office staff will bring local farmers to the school to teach students about the route their food takes from farm to tray. The Dr. James A. Forrest Career & Technology Center’s Agricultural Education program will be in attendance to assist and guide students through a planting activity.
Additionally, the St. Mary’s County Museum Division will have a station dedicated to our local waterways and fishing. Nutritional programs will teach children about the importance of an active, healthy lifestyle in an effort to combat childhood obesity and enhance the role farms play in healthy eating and exercise.
