Orchard Supports Beef In Schools

Nebraska Beef in Schools is moving into schools across Nebraska, and Orchard Public Schools is jumping on the bandwagon to improve school lunches and provide more educational experiences.

Inspiration for Orchard’s involvement came from the uproar of local schools’ participation in the program. Since school board president Candice Hoke’s initial proposal, several individuals have become involved making just the beginning of Orchard program a success.

Principal Cathy Cooper and kitchen staff Deb Schwager and Anita Tabbert have taken the program head on preparing to implement the program starting at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year.

The Orchard Education Foundation (Ernie Gudenschwager, Barb Kiley, Rita Shabram, Marvin Haswell, and Dale Rabbass) have also jumped on board, agreeing to allow tax deductible donations to be made through the foundation to fund the program.

Most recently, the program has received several generous donations from local businesses and community members. Donations from the Bank of Orchard, Butch’s Body Shop, Mitteis Gravel, Cooper Farms, B & C Ranches, Jim & Kristi Schutt, and Mark & Cathy Cooper have put the program at a total of $1,350 with the cost of transportations of the beef to and from the locker covered.

Thanks to the community, the school will be able to provide the students and staff home-raised, local beef while getting an educational experience.

“Some of our kids don’t ever get true, home-raised Nebraska beef and so, that’s exciting. But also, it’s educational. That’s why we could just contact one of these USDA lockers and just say we want to buy some of your processed meat. But, I would like it to be from a local farm, because then I think that educational piece of this is what happens in our own community, this is the livestock, and how we raise it and look at the opportunities that we have that get served back onto our table,” said Cooper. “To me, that’s what is important about this program. Celebrating our economy and how that is one of the biggest things in Nebraska.”

If you are interested in donating toward the implementation of the new program, please contact Cathy Cooper via phone at (402) 893-3215 or via email at [email protected].