FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cobden and Murphysboro School Districts Begin Training for Farm-to-School Scratch-Cooking Program
August 19, 2024 – Murphysboro, Illinois. For three days earlier this month, fifteen cooks from the Cobden and Murphysboro school districts gathered at Murphysboro High School to be trained in scratch-cooking methods using locally-sourced foods.
The training is part of a multiple year effort resulting from a Farm-to-School Grant from the Illinois State Board of Education being carried out by the Regional Office of Education which serves the school districts in Alexander, Jackson, Perry, Pulaski, and Union Counties.
The training included the preparation of multiple breakfast and lunch dishes for each of the three days. In addition to cooking skills, the staff members also learned leadership and time management skills. Sam Hampton, the Head Chef at Murphysboro High School, is excited about the training. He described the first day of training as a “very, very pleasing day” and noted, “I’m doing things that I used to do and I’m enjoying this. I hope we keep doing this.”
The objectives of this effort include not only implementing scratch-cooked meals, but also to get input from students to decide what items may be included on the menu. As the school year gets started, students in Cobden and Murphysboro can expect to be included in this effort. Other objectives include the establishment of a network of local food producers for the schools to utilize as well as to reduce waste in the food service programs.
The Cobden and Murphysboro school district superintendents, Mr. Edwin Shoemate and Dr. Andrea Evers, respectively, along with Regional Superintendent of Schools Matthew Hickam are excited about the program starting and seeing where it goes over the coming years. Hickam observed during the training that, “The work that goes on in school kitchens is not easy work, and scratch-cooking for an entire school is hard, but I've seen nothing but a willingness to do it from everyone here and I think that’s because they know how much better it can be for the students.”
Greg Christian, CEO and founder of Beyond Green Sustainable Food Partners, a consulting firm contracted by the Regional Office of Education to lead this effort in the Cobden and Murphysboro school districts asserts, “Creating the foundation for daily learning and setting kids up for a lifetime of healthy eating starts with training for school nutrition staff on how to cook from scratch. We’re focused on increasing the culinary skills and leadership of the existing team to successfully run their own scratch cooked program.”
All parties involved in this farm-to-school scratch-cooking program emphasize it will be a gradual process. While initial training has occurred and connections with local farms are being made, scratch-cooked meals will be gradually included from time-to-time in the near future as additional work occurs behind the scenes to scale up the effort in the coming months and years.
About Beyond Green Sustainable Food Partners
Beyond Green Sustainable Food Partners is a consulting and foodservice company that promotes scratch-cooked foods, local sourcing, and zero-waste. Founded by chef and “eco-preneur” Greg Christian, their team is devoted to client success and is pleased to provide tools that help others contribute to a healthier, cleaner, and more efficient food system while connecting with the communities they serve. To learn more about Beyond Green Partners, please visit www.beyondgreenpartners.com.