Sherwood cultivates good eating habits with farmers market for students

Ridges Elementary School gave its students a taste of the farmers market experience with a special after-lunch event on Wednesday in Sherwood. (Photo by Jake Arnold, OSBA)

Third grader Oliver Chriss was equal parts adventurer and experienced consumer at the Ridges Elementary Farmers Market.

Pre-K to fifth grade students had five "dollars" to spend Wednesday, Oct. 7, on samples of fruits and veggies arranged on tables in the school's covered play area. Chriss remembered he liked the frozen blueberries from the school farmers market when he was in first grade, and he also wanted to try the kiwi berries because he likes kiwis.

He sat on the pavement with his choices arranged in front of him to sample a bit from each plastic cup.

"It's fun because we get to eat a bunch of fruits we usually don't get," he said.

The day's event was just another aspect of the Sherwood School District's farm-to-school ethos and innovative nutrition services.

School meal programs, from salad bars stocked with local produce to lessons tied to foods, are more creative and sophisticated than when many of today's education leaders were in school. National School Lunch Week's theme this year is "Cafeteria Circus," celebrating that creativity.

National School Lunch Week, Oct. 12-16, is an opportunity for school board members and superintendents to visit their schools for a meal and see for themselves. School board members should reach out to nutrition staff or administrators before visiting so they can prepare and also provide a possible cost for the meal. OSBA and the Oregon Department of Education are encouraging school board members to learn first-hand about meal programs and share their experiences with their communities.

The National School Lunch Program provides federal funding so schools can deliver free or low-cost school meals. In the 2025-26 school year, Oregon schools served over 46 million school lunches to students, according to ODE.

Making sure students are well fed at school leads to improved academic performance and better attendance, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

School lunches, though, are about more than nutrition.

OSBA Board President Dawn Watson said she loved volunteering during lunch at her children's schools. Watson, who is a Phoenix-Talent School Board member, said the children crowd around adults and open up about both funny and deep things on their minds.

"The school lunch period is my favorite part of the day," Watson said. "When we give our children delicious and nutritious foods, they come alive with wonderful conversations, contagious enthusiasm and unstoppable energy. Every education leader should experience what it means to give our students vital fuel for learning."

Watson said it's important for school leaders to be in buildings occasionally to see what their schools are really about.

Sherwood Superintendent Aaron Downs said the school farmers market is an example of nutrition services embracing a broader mission than serving square pizza on plastic trays.

The district emphasizes fresh and local food in its meal program to promote healthy habits with children as well as to build bridges with community members and businesses, Downs said.

"The whole farm to school program allows us to have local relationships with people who care about the experiences of kids," Downs said. "We want to be connected."

Wednesday's farmers market, which immediately followed the school's lunch periods, ties the whole idea together. The Sherwood Education Foundation provided a grant to pay for the food. Parent volunteers helped set up and hand out the samples. The produce mostly came from Oregon farms, freshly harvested. Hoffman Farms donated some of the food. Hoffman Farms' owners are the parents of a Ridges student.

Downs said for many students this is their first interaction with a farmers market. They get to wander the tables and meet community members while also hanging out with friends and having a great snack.

Nora Liesegang, the Yamhill-Polk County Dairy Princess Ambassador, attended with a calf named Flora. Liesegang shared stickers and pencils and nutrition information, but she knew most of the children were really interested in the baby cow.

Gia Saporito, the Sherwood nutrition director, proposed the market idea, now in its second year. She aims to get students more interested in their nutrition and where their food comes from.

"Kids remember experiential learning," she said. "A farmers market is an immersive activity."

Students milled about, laughing and talking and gathering in clumps to test the food.

Each bright green "dollar" bought the students one 4-ounce sample. The market had seven sample stations, with apple cider, cheese, grape and cherry tomatoes, kiwi berries, mini sweet peppers, red and green grapes, and frozen blueberries. Each table had a sign with information about the produce and smiling parents ready to help.

Saporito said children may be suspicious of new foods, but the vibrant colors of the fruits and vegetables can make them more appealing.

"All of us eat with our eyes, especially children," she said.

Third grader Maya Martinez said the blueberries were her favorite, but she squealed with delight when she saw the red and green cherry tomatoes. Soon she had tomato juice squirting over her fingers and a smile on her face.

The Ridges Elementary School farmers market featured mini sweet peppers. Gia Saporito, the Sherwood School District nutrition director, said the district's first farmers market led to a huge increase in the vegetable's consumption the next day. (Photo by Jake Arnold, OSBA)

- Jake Arnold, OSBA
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