St. Mary’s County Public Schools will celebrate Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week, Sept. 14 through 18, by including locally-grown products in school lunches. Select schools will also showcase this event with outside display stations set up and manned by local farmers, while lessons on healthy eating and farming will be delivered in classrooms.

Showcased events will be held at White Marsh Elementary on Tuesday, September 15, 9:15 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Town Creek Elementary on Wednesday, September 16, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., and Oakville Elementary on Thursday, September 17, 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

The program aims to bring more Maryland-grown products to school lunch rooms and to help educate students about where their food comes from, how it is produced, and the benefits of a healthy diet.

More information on Maryland’s Farm to School Initiative is available at www.mda.state.md.us/mdfarmtoschool.   For more details on the SMCPS showcases, contact Mr. Mike Jones, supervisor of food & nutrition, at (301) 475-4256, ext. 5.

Photos accompanying this article are courtesy of Zina McGowan-Thomas, SMCPS public information officer.