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Student board chair urges healthier school lunches, proposes using Keisha Farm for fresh produce
Summary
Colin Craig, a sixth‑grade student and student board chair at Emerson Williams School, urged the board to improve school lunches, reduce wasted vegetables and explore using Keisha Farm and rooftop gardens to supply fresh produce to Wethersfield schools.
A student board representative urged the Wethersfield Board of Education to prioritize healthier school food and suggested using district‑owned land to supply fresh produce.
Colin Craig, the Emerson Williams student board chair, told the board, “Food is what fuels the brain,” and argued the district should brainstorm ways to provide fresher, more appealing meals so students return to class ready to learn.
Craig cited a statistic he attributed to Boston Children’s Hospital — that 19.7% of U.S. children ages 2–19 are obese — and said healthier school meals and options would improve focus and health. He urged limiting unhealthy snacks in school, offering choices to reduce plate waste and testing new vegetable recipes until students eat them.
Craig proposed using Keisha Farm — which he said the town still owns — with town volunteers maintaining it and shipping fresh produce to schools; he also suggested adding a greenhouse or rooftop gardens on new school buildings and composting wasted food to close the loop.
Why it matters: a student representative used the public meeting to propose operational food‑service changes and community agricultural reuse; the ideas touch on nutrition, food waste and local land use but require district, town and food‑service coordination.
Ending: Board members thanked Craig for the idea; one architect in the audience said he “loved the rooftop gardens.” The district did not take immediate action; the suggestion may inform future nutrition and facilities conversations.
