Big Lake Elementary Will Recycle Food This Fall
Contributed Sammy Taylor
Big Lake Elementary students, their families and school staff have a new project to look forward to this coming school year. Currently much food given to students for breakfast and lunch ends up in the trash bin. Students and staff hope to change that by sharing their uneaten food with those families with Pigs, Chickens, Goats or other livestock. The school received $3,000.00 from Mid Valley Recycling (sponsored by Meadow Lakes Community Development Corporation and financially supported by Matanuska-Susitna Health Foundation) which will help them buy equipment and supplies to recycle any food kids don’t eat. Instead of throwing that uneaten food away they will bag it and give it to those with livestock on a rotating basis. They plan to compost any other organic food “waste” to replenish soils that would be used in community gardens.
Organizer and reading tutor Joan Tovsen helped garner support from other school staff, including kitchen lead Linda Brian, school librarian Robin Gamble and Big Lake librarian Cassidy Drake. Joan says that the full support and encouragement of Principal Leigh Magnan and Assistant Principal Crissy Lovelace guarantees the success of their food recycling project. Many Big Lake students, teachers, staff and others look forward to launching the “Recycle Re-Produce” project when school begins again this fall.
Mid Valley Recycling contest judges were pleased to see this project funded because it could be replicated at other schools and institutions where food is served. A federal law protects food donators from liability so Mid Valley Recycling is hoping to see this food recycling project succeed and be duplicated throughout the Valley. Nationally, almost one third of all food grown and distributed in the US is wasted. So, curbing that waste and supporting our farmers and our food is a vital idea. So, Big Lake kids, if your family has livestock, don’t forget to sign up and share the leftovers with your animals!
Forthcoming is a description of the individual, winners and participants in our contest for good recycling ideas. Many participants joined Big Lake Library’s summer reading kick-off (with a focus on recycling) in early June. I’ll tell you about them next time!