Pueblo students work with local foods for Farm to School Month

Students in Pueblo School District 60 are using Colorado’s Farm to School Month to connect nutrition lessons with local agriculture. Held each October, the statewide initiative emphasizes Colorado-grown and Colorado-raised foods while teaching students about farming and the people behind their meals. At Franklin School of Innovation in Pueblo, district chef Patrick Reitmayer led a hands-on cooking activity with D60’s food service provider (SFE), registered dietitian Erica Christ, and principal Dana DiTommaso Junkman, who represents her family’s fifth-generation DiTomaso Farms. Eighteen students prepared an after-school snack, received recipe cards, and practiced tasting unfamiliar ingredients. Organizers say students are often more willing to try foods they help prepare, and the district integrates Colorado products year-round.