Mansfield Public Schools is the first school district, along with (Region 19) Edwin O. Smith High School, to offer bulk milk to all students PreK to 12, demonstrating a commitment to low waste, sustainable practices, and local foods. The milk travels about 2.5 miles from Mountain Dairy to Mansfield Middle School, the site that hosted state leaders to celebrate this “hyperlocal” accomplishment on October 21.
Mansfield Public Schools launched the commitment to local milk when it opened its new elementary school in spring of 2023, the first new net-zero energy elementary school built in Connecticut. The district specified a bulk milk dispenser as part of its standard cafeteria equipment. This approach works to meet two important objectives of the district: to increase locally sourced foods and ingredients in school meals and to promote sustainable practices. The program was successful, so the district applied for grant funding from the Connecticut Milk Promotion Board and New England Dairy to bring the bulk milk program to Mansfield Middle School and E.O. Smith High School.
L to R: Jamie Smith, CT State Department of Agriculture; Amanda Aldred, New England Dairy; (rear) Craig Stearns, Mountain Dairy; Monica Pacheco, CT State Department of Education, Jen Bove, CT State Department of Education, Maraiah Popeleski-Tilley, Mansfield Public Schools Food Services; Stacey Stearns, Mountain Dairy; Ally Hughes, CT Department of Agriculture; Larry Barlow, Principal Mansfield Middle School, Gregg Haddad, State Representative, Jiff Martin, UConn Extension, and Peter Dart, Superintendent Mansfield Public Schools..
The schools’ fresh milk is produced by Mountain Dairy, which has been supplying Mansfield and surrounding communities with delicious milk since 1871. The farm supplies several colleges with milk in the bulk format, including the University of Connecticut, plus Connecticut College, Yale, and others. Craig Stearns, President and CEO of Mountain Dairy, and Stacey Stearns attended the celebration to observe students enjoying their family’s milk, and brought a cheerful poster to add to the cafeteria’s colorful milk messaging.
The students voted that day on naming a special cow mascot, plus Food Service Department staff decorated the kitchen and serving space. Students chose stickers, I Love Cheese or I Love Milk. Also on the menu was tomato soup, created from scratch with milk and local tomatoes plus grilled cheese sandwiches. All month the Mansfield school kitchens have been marking National Farm to School month with local food tastings and scratch menu items made with locally sourced produce and products.
Jamie Smith, Department of Agriculture’s Director for the Bureau of Agricultural Development and Resource Conservation came to see the new dispensers and learn how Mansfield was able to collaborate to make this program work. Representatives from the Connecticut State Department of Education included Monica Pacheco who works with the Bureau of Child Nutrition Programs, and UConn Extension’s Sustainable Food Systems Educator Jiff Martin. Amanda Aldred of the New England Dairy who facilitated the grant was also there to answer questions. One of Mansfield’s State Representative, Gregg Haddad also attended the celebration.
“It’s important for all communities to reimagine school food programs,” says Chef and Food Services Director Maraiah Popeleski-Tilley who pushed to make the bulk milk grants and programs work. “We need to prioritize our children’s health, and local foods and farms are key to that. However, grants and funding to facilitate this change is critical. We are so appreciative of our partners who have allowed us to connect our students with their local milk provider here. We’re excited to serve Mansfield milk to Mansfield kids,” she says.
Amanda Aldred, RD, SNS, Senior Manager, School Nutrition for New England Dairy adds, “While most milk in Connecticut schools comes from farms in Connecticut and the northeast, it’s great to see Mansfield Public Schools working with Mountain Dairy to provide milk produced in the same town.”
Other schools in Connecticut interested in starting a bulk milk program can apply for an equipment grant at NewEnglandDairy.com. The next deadline is November 8, 2024
ABOUT the PARTNERS
Mansfield Public Schools: Mansfield Public School is a PreKindergarten-Grade 8 district located in two schools. Mansfield Elementary School (MES), which opened in spring of 2023, has 549 students in Grades PreK to 4 and 414 students attend Mansfield Middle School (MMS) for Grades 5-8. Mansfield is a diverse community influenced by the University of Connecticut and Eastern Connecticut State University, and there are 29 different languages spoken by the district’s families. Mansfield is a Silver-Certified community with Sustainable CT.
Mansfield Elementary was the first new net-zero public elementary school in Connecticut, and MES educators use the building and campus as a living laboratory for science that is integrated into the curriculum, school culture, and practice of teaching a sustainable lifestyle, including in the cafeteria. The new elementary school building provides an innovative 21st century learning environment for students with outdoor classrooms and gardens, and flexible breakout spaces for small group learning. Located adjacent to the Town’s largest park, MMS classes frequently utilize outdoor learning spaces. MMS students consistently earn top honors in state and national competitions. The district works to live by its six Core Beliefs in its culture: Lead with Equity, Develop the Whole Child, Ensure Active Learning, Build Partnerships, Prepare Global Citizens, and Grow Educators.
The Food Services Department prepares and serves breakfast and lunch meals each day within the district, and manages service for Regional District 19 (Edwin O. Smith High School) for students form Mansfield, Ashford, and Willington. Under Director and Chef Maraiah Popeleski-Tilley, RDN, the program is increasing its scratch cooking items on the menu and use of locally grown products. Volunteers deliver all unserved school food daily to the local soup kitchen so it is not wasted, and the schools have composted food waste since 1997. As a partner in the Town’s initiative, Taste of Mansfield, Mansfield Public Schools is committed to sustainable practices and preparing nutritious meals for students to ensure there are “No Sad Lunches.”
Mountain Dairy: The Stearns family came to Mansfield in 1772 where they originally grew mulberries. In 1871, the family began delivering milk (that's 153 years of supplying Mansfield and surrounding communities with simply delicious milk). Today, they milk around 500 cows on their farm in Storrs, a village in Mansfield, and raise corn and haylage for them, with cropland in Storrs and surrounding towns. Their processing plant is on the farm, and they have milk, cream, flavored milk (chocolate, strawberry, coffee, and mochaccino), and seasonal eggnog. Mountain Dairy also has home delivery in 29 municipalities and 40 retail partners in three states (Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island).
Connecticut Milk Promotion Board: The Connecticut Milk Promotion Board, administered by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, was established in 2008. The board consists of nine appointed members and is charged with developing, coordinating and implementing promotional, research and other programs designed to promote Connecticut dairy farms and milk consumption.
New England Dairy: For more than 100 years, New England Dairy has served our communities in five New England states and proudly supports the importance of local dairy foods, dairy farmers, and dairy farming in New England. We are a non-profit nutrition education and promotion organization founded, funded, and led by dairy farmers who are committed to producing healthy products and caring for their cows, the land, and their communities.