LITTLETON — Superintendent Kelly Clenchy is proud to share that Littleton Public Schools was recently spotlighted during a celebratory lunch for its nutrition program’s devotion to including locally sourced produce and meats in school menus.
In recent months, Littleton Public Schools’ nutrition program earned two awards: the 2024 Terrific Tray Award from Massachusetts Farm to School and the Innovation in the Cultural Diversity of School Meals Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK).
The District was also awarded $10,000 in grant funding last year through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Local Food for Schools.
State Sen. Jamie Eldridge, members of the Littleton School Committee, Littleton administrators, local partners, and representatives from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), the USDA, and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) gathered together to enjoy a meal prepared by the Littleton High School cafeteria team on Sept. 11.
The meal — baked haddock, roasted potatoes, roasted autumn vegetables, beet and goat cheese salad, couscous salad, garden salad, corn and tomato salad, caprese salad, and apple cider — was representative of lunches offered to Littleton’s students and entirely sourced from local farms across the state.
Food Service Director Leah Botko gave a presentation highlighting the success of Farm-to-School funding and its wide-reaching impact on students and the community. Highlighted was the importance of scratch-cooking in the kitchen. Littleton has partnered with the John Stalker Institute CRISP program for the past three years to offer district-wide culinary training for all its nutrition employees.
These trainings, compounded with the wide variety of produce provided by organizations such as Worcester Food Hub, have resulted in a school menu that is both nutritious and delicious. Worcester Food Hub has seen an increase of 233 percent in sales over the last year thanks to partnerships with Massachusetts school districts.
Shon Rainford, Director of Worcester Food Hub, described the excitement and challenges of the past few years and expressed hope that the growth will continue and all Massachusetts schools will be recipients of excellent food service programs.
“Our nutrition program goes above and beyond for our students. The District is lucky to have such dedicated, passionate Food Services staff who make it a priority to provide healthy and delicious meals to our students,” said Superintendent Clenchy. “The awards they have recently received are so well-deserved, and I cannot wait to see what culturally-inspired dishes they plan to add to our menus as time goes on!”
Littleton’s Food Service Director Leah Botko (center) stands with State Sen. Jamie Eldridge (left) and Littleton Food Services staff (left to right) Marylou Kelly, Michelle DeVogel, Amy Mirabella, Shelby Smith, and Rita Gettings while holding the 2024 Terrific Tray Award. (Photo Courtesy Littleton Public Schools) 
The meal prepared by Littleton Food Services staff was representative of lunches offered to students and entirely sourced from local farms across the state. (Photo Courtesy Littleton Public Schools)