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Food services director outlines local-sourcing push, share-table plan and compost pilot; reports 6% sales increase
Summary
Old Saybrook's Food Services Director described districtwide menu changes emphasizing local Farm-to-School sourcing, reported a 6% increase in meal sales year-over-year for November, and outlined a share-table and a town-partnered food-scrap composting pilot (cost cited at roughly $120/month).
The Food Services Director, who identified herself in the transcript as Pereta, told the Old Saybrook Board of Education that she has expanded Farm-to-School purchasing districtwide and has focused on making meals more appealing to reduce waste.
"I've tried to bring in better quality food... Farm to school I've brought it to all the schools now," Pereta said, describing weekly pickups from local farms and a new agreement with a container farm to supply year-round lettuce and maple syrup.
The presentation said the district saw a 6% increase in meal sales this November compared with last November. The director also discussed changes to breakfast service — noting a drop in free-breakfast participation from 24% to 13% after program changes — and detailed plans to pilot share tables and food-scrap composting.
Pereta described how a share table can work within federal meal rules and said she had discussed the approach with the state: "...you can put it on a share table so someone else wants it can take it... I cleared it with the state," she said. The board also heard that the district is piloting locked outdoor compost bins taken by a third-party provider one or two times per week; the speaker estimated the pilot cost at about $120 per month and said the first selectman had offered to cover the cost while the district evaluates the program.
Board members pressed for metrics and waste-reduction details. The director said she is tracking sales and acknowledged food-waste challenges tied to required meal-component mixes and student preferences. She noted practical changes made to appeal to students, such as offering bagged produce and student-friendly options like sweet potato fries.
The discussion included operational details about portioning, food safety and reuse: the director said individually wrapped portions meet safety rules and enable share-table reuse if items are kept cold and handled under federal requirements.
The board received the presentation; no formal action was taken. Staff said they will continue the compost pilot and track participation and waste metrics to report back to the board.
