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Discussion on hydroponics in schools and challenges with using produce in school lunches

1:12:22

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142 sec

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Council Member Brewer raises concerns about the Department of Education not allowing hydroponically grown produce from schools to be used in student lunches. Qiana Mickie acknowledges the barriers and discusses potential solutions and ongoing efforts.

Brewer mentions successful hydroponics programs in schools but highlights the issue of not being able to use the produce in school lunches
Mickie discusses the need to understand and support the process of getting food into schools, including donated food and procurement opportunities
Mickie highlights successful programs that allow for taste testing and cooking demos, suggesting these as alternative ways to utilize the produce
The discussion touches on the potential for local and regional food procurement for school salad bars

Gale A. Brewer

1:12:22

The hydroponics, I would I think I did the first one at p s 333.

1:12:26

And so the question is, it's a they're great.

1:12:30

But you know what?

1:12:31

DOE won't allow the salad or the lettuce or the tap the fish at food and finance Mhmm.

1:12:37

To go into the lunch for their students.

1:12:39

Is that something that we could work on?

1:12:41

In other words, I don't understand why, but for I guess they're afraid they're it's not been cleared by some god that the lettuce and the fish can't go into the student lunch.

1:12:52

Have you do you is there anything we

Qiana Mickie

1:12:54

can do about that?

1:12:56

I think, I don't wanna speak for, school food in this

Gale A. Brewer

1:12:59

I can.

1:13:00

They don't allow it.

Qiana Mickie

1:13:01

Okay.

1:13:01

No.

1:13:02

Yes.

1:13:03

We I'm aware of the current, barriers.

1:13:07

I think for the Office of Urban Agriculture in our partnership with School Food

Gale A. Brewer

1:13:12

We love Chris.

1:13:13

We love Chris.

1:13:13

But

Qiana Mickie

1:13:14

Love Chris.

1:13:15

Love Chris.

1:13:16

Big fan of Chris.

1:13:18

But what I do think that we need to do is first understand how to support, the process of food coming into our schools and making sure that if we're creating opportunities, for food security, like donated food and if that food can come in, or we're also making food procurement opportunities for for the small to mid scale businesses as well, indoors as well as other, soil based or rural growers.

1:13:46

So I think it's a conversation that's worth continuing to have, how to expand our salad bar.

1:13:52

But I do think there are, and I think these, partners like, Sunworks and Team Food Food Justice, Edible Schoolyard, but the ones that are doing hydroponic in particular since you asked.

1:14:04

I think there's great avenues that we've learned and seen that they are able to get food and test taste testings and cooking demos.

1:14:11

And I think for food security, those are really good ways for that food to get to families as well as the students.

1:14:18

Okay.

1:14:18

In terms of salad bar, opportunities, I don't think we need to preclude them, but I think the untapped potential are existing businesses, small hyperlocal, to rural partners that are more primed for procurement contracts and are more eligible to be able to get more of their local regional food in our salad bars.

1:14:42

That's one of the elements of our training that we're looking into.

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Discussion on local food procurement for schools and city agencies