Farm to School program brings fresh vegetables to students

<p>One New Jersey food company is promising the freshest and tastiest vegetables possible, as children get settled back into school.</p>

News 12 Staff

Sep 7, 2018, 12:13 PM

Updated 2,055 days ago

Share:

One New Jersey food company is promising the freshest and tastiest vegetables possible, as children get settled back into school.
Sometimes it can be tough to get kids to eat their veggies.
The journey begins in Warren County as Lyn Mahony and her staff from Maschio's Food Service walk the rows of cherry tomatoes on Zip's Farm in Washington Township, gathering what soon will be a tasty lunch for elementary school students an hour away.
"Freshness, being picked, nothing better than picking tomatoes off the vine, slicing them right up cutting them right up, putting them on your lunch," says Keith Zipprich, with Zip’s Produce Farms.
The partnership was born on a 3-acre plot of land, filled with veggies, all for the kids. It's the first farm to school lunch program in the state.
With lunch approaching, it's time to ship the crates of tomatoes to the first stop of the day, Franklin Elementary School in South Plainfield.
An hour later, the truck arrives at the school, as kitchen staff wash, prep, and season the cherry tomatoes just in time for the first lunch period of the day.
"It is exciting to see it come from the farm, handpicked to the Franklin school, fresh tomatoes is so healthy," says Principal Ralph Errico.
The total time from picking to eating is just under three hours. 
The farmers at Zip's say if the weather cooperates, they should be able to continue to provide fresh farm to school veggies right through the end of October. 


More from News 12
2:24
Fire officials: 39 people, including 8 children, displaced in Newark Broadway Street fire

Fire officials: 39 people, including 8 children, displaced in Newark Broadway Street fire

1:53
Spotty showers overnight with lows around 48; breezy but sunny Wednesday ahead

Spotty showers overnight with lows around 48; breezy but sunny Wednesday ahead

1:07
Paterson middle school briefly goes into lockdown following gunshots at nearby home

Paterson middle school briefly goes into lockdown following gunshots at nearby home

0:28
Police: Man accused of stealing steaks from Bayonne Walmart at knifepoint

Police: Man accused of stealing steaks from Bayonne Walmart at knifepoint

2:00
Seaside Park enacts new ‘No Wake Zone’ law to prevent people causing havoc in flooded streets

Seaside Park enacts new ‘No Wake Zone’ law to prevent people causing havoc in flooded streets

0:19
Road rage incident in Jersey City caught on camera; police seek driver

Road rage incident in Jersey City caught on camera; police seek driver

2:04
Police: Crews rescue 46 dogs from fire inside Pio Costa industrial complex in Fairfield

Police: Crews rescue 46 dogs from fire inside Pio Costa industrial complex in Fairfield

0:31
Sources: Body recovered in Barnegat Bay believed to be missing Island Heights woman

Sources: Body recovered in Barnegat Bay believed to be missing Island Heights woman

1:52
Police: South Brunswick crash involving car and motorcycle kills 1

Police: South Brunswick crash involving car and motorcycle kills 1

0:55
News 12 and Red Bulls host Weather Education Day at Red Bull Arena

News 12 and Red Bulls host Weather Education Day at Red Bull Arena

0:20
Police: Burglar found in crawl space at Ocean Township diner

Police: Burglar found in crawl space at Ocean Township diner

Police: 1 person killed in car crash on Route 535 in South Brunswick

Police: 1 person killed in car crash on Route 535 in South Brunswick

0:29
Moscow court rejects Evan Gershkovich's appeal, keeping him in jail until at least June 30

Moscow court rejects Evan Gershkovich's appeal, keeping him in jail until at least June 30

0:27
Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal A named world’s best terminal by Skytrax

Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal A named world’s best terminal by Skytrax

1:52
Rahway police seek public’s help identifying suspects in attempted car thefts, burglaries

Rahway police seek public’s help identifying suspects in attempted car thefts, burglaries

0:29
Former Wildwood mayor indicted for 2nd time, accused of tax evasion

Former Wildwood mayor indicted for 2nd time, accused of tax evasion

1:29
Best of New Jersey: Enjoying sweet treats at Enjou Chocolat in Morristown

Best of New Jersey: Enjoying sweet treats at Enjou Chocolat in Morristown

0:31
Authorities ID 3 people killed in South Brunswick crash

Authorities ID 3 people killed in South Brunswick crash

0:26
USDA warns of ground beef that may be contaminated with E.coli

USDA warns of ground beef that may be contaminated with E.coli

0:48
9 steps to take if your ‘fur-ever’ friend goes missing

9 steps to take if your ‘fur-ever’ friend goes missing