Jason Treadway (pictured on the left) is the Director of Food and Nutrition for Verner Center for Early Learning. Verner has worked with Growing Minds to source from local farms and provide farm to school activities for the students. Jason’s staff of six serves breakfast, lunch, and snacks and two sites each day. Food is prepared at Verner East and taken over to the central site as well. 
 
What are your favorite parts of your job?
 
Feeding children, working with my team, and the management group here at Verner. I love that I have a lot of freedom for sourcing local foods. 
 
What has been your experience working with local farms?
 
We got a [Growing Minds ECE procurement grant], so every Thursday I go and pick up a CSA from Seven Seeds Farm. They just moved to Marshall. They grow a lot of great produce. We just got some black raspberries that are really good. They send me an email a few days before the pickup and I build my menu around what they have available. 
 
I also go to a farmers market a couple times a week to get supplemental items, like honey and more produce. Usually I go to River Arts District Farmers Market or Enka-Candler Farmer’s Market, which is near my house. It’s a really rewarding experience. The farmers all work so hard and are so happy to sell their food and be at the market. I feel lucky to be part of that and to be able to take those products off their hands and feed over 200 people.
 
I have a little farm, too, so I bring in basil or other herbs. Another staff member just brought in a bunch of pears. We have a small learning garden onsite where we also grow herbs. This is my first year gardening on this property, so I’m learning a lot about working with the balance of nature—like critters and bugs. 
 
What are some things on your menus right now?
 
I did this really terrific roasted red pepper pesto. I’m mixing it into some whole wheat couscous this week. I used basil from garden, roasted local red peppers, sunflower seeds, parmesan, and olive oil. It’s a really nice red color. It taste like butter! We’re also doing some creamed corn, with corn from Lee’s One Fortune Farm. We’re serving peach salsa for snack with peaches from Lee’s One Fortune and local tomatoes. We’re using a lot of local apples, too. I do apple pie oatmeal with cinnamon that’s really good. I got some apple cider and am reducing a little bit with maple syrup for apple spice syrup for pancakes.
 
Do the kids have a favorite meal? 
 
There’s a creamy pesto turkey pasta. I cook a whole turkey and use that. I don’t use any ground turkey. I’ll mix that with some orzo, fontina cheese, parmesan, pesto, and that’s pretty much it. Milk to make it saucy. They just go ga-ga over that. I like orzo, because it’s really easy for children to eat. It keeps its integrity and doesn’t get mushy. 
 
What are some of methods or tricks you use to get kids to try new foods?
 
For example, broccoli. I stopped steaming broccoli. Instead I’ll do a light coat of olive oil, then in a hot oven for four minutes, and take it out when it’s just getting a little color. That keeps the integrity and flavor and adds a little crispness. Most vegetables I’ll do a light steam and shock in cold water, then season and bring up to temp. Basically we want to keep the heat moderate, so all the flavor doesn’t leak out. We recently got a dehydrator and are using it to supplement snack mixes with lots of dehydrated local fruit. Those are really rich in enzymes and last for many months. 
 
Having my own son and introducing him to lot of foods, you can lose children in your own reaction. They feed off of that. For instance, if you are giving them cauliflower and you are unsure if they will like it, they’re looking at you. You need to give them space. Stare at a wall if you have to so you’re not letting them react to your reactions. 
 
Why is it important for you to connect with farms and offer local food in early care centers?
 
It tastes better and the color is brighter. I’m dealing in bright colors. Having a relationship with these local food producers connects me with other people. There’s a network I can tap into that benefits our food programs. Someone called me recently about growing microgreens for us. Word gets around. And it supports the local economy and keeps farmers doing what they’re doing.
 
Find out more about farm to school funding from Growing Minds.