Palmyra Christian Academy is bringing locally raised beef to its cafeteria through the Missouri Beef Kids program, giving students access to locally sourced food while teaching them about agriculture and where their meals come from. (Julia Thomas)
PALMYRA, Mo. — Palmyra Christian Academy is bringing locally raised beef to its cafeteria through the Missouri Beef Kids program, giving students access to locally sourced food while teaching them about agriculture and where their meals come from.
The Missouri Beef Kids program connects schools with local cattle producers to provide high-quality Missouri-raised beef for school meals and agricultural education opportunities.
Palmyra Christian Academy joined the program after local beef producers Al and Katie Dames helped connect the school with Missouri Beef Kids.
School administrator Amanda Crumrine said the locally raised beef will be incorporated into meals already popular with students, including tacos, spaghetti and sloppy joes.
“We were already using beef, but this way, we can use beef that actually comes from farmers right around our area,” Crumrine said. “It’s really good for our students to be able to see that their meals are coming from local producers.”
Administrators say the program’s educational component helps students better understand agriculture and the work that goes into producing food.
“It’s just really important for students to realize where food comes from and just realize the hard work and effort of local farmers and producers that goes into making the food that they consume,” Crumrine said. “I just think that it’s vitally important that all students, not just kiddos that live on farms, realize that connection between the true farm-to-table experience.”
The program also benefits the school’s cafeteria budget.
Crumrine said a donation from the Dames family helped make participation possible, allowing the school to save money on beef purchases and invest more in other meal items.
“It does help us in that way, and then we can pass that savings on,” Crumrine said. “We can also be able to invest more in other areas, like the different fruits and vegetables and milk that we provide every lunch.”
Palmyra Christian Academy serves students from preschool through 12th grade.
She said providing nutritious meals is a priority, and access to locally raised beef helps support that goal.
“Quality protein is so important for our students to have healthy meals so that they’re able to learn well and their brains are able to work at top performance,” Crumrine said. “Being able to have locally sourced beef is just another step in our process of making sure that our meals are helping students.”
Dining and Cooking