Just another recipe contest?

The email from administration had potential.

Subject line: "New and Exciting Opportunity!" and I knew it wasn't spam.

In the body of the email:

"The USDA is challenging school nutrition professionals, chefs, parents and interested community members to create tasty, healthy, exciting new recipes for inclusion on school lunch menus across the country."

Has anyone spotted the omission yet?

So I thought "Recipes. School. Community garden. Local influences. Dairy - grade level curriculum. This has potential." So I went to the web site to find out that each team would "...develop, document, and prepare at least one healthy recipe in one of three categories (Whole Grains, Dark Green and Orange vegetables, or Dry Beans and Peas). The recipes get tested in a school cafeteria, then sent on up the ranks until a final cook-off.

In the details, I found out that each team had to include "...a chef, a school nutrition professional, at least one student..., and at least one parent or community member."

Ahem.

I'm only a teacher. I don't count. Students spend more time with me than with any other school professional. I supervise their snack times. I teach the health curriculum. I implement energizers to get them up and moving. I participate on the community garden committee, send home the annual state-given pine trees with advice for planting, and more. Despite my gardening experience, a growing interest in the locavore philosophy, recent ventures into the realm of canning, and skills in contest & grant writing, I'm only a teacher.

And this USDA school cafeteria recipe contest doesn't include teachers.

I guess the kids in my school will never get to taste my salsa or my orange marmalade.

Stumble It!