Kellogg Farm grass-fed beef feeds Gull Lake High School

There’s a new venture in town in the farm-to-table movement. In January 2017, Gull Lake High School began offering specialty burgers made from grass-fed beef produced at the KBS Pasture Dairy Center as part of their lunch menu.

Photo credit: Emily Koenig

The program is part of a new Farm-to-School partnership with Gull Lake Community Schools (GLCS) and KBS, and features a burger-of-the-week meal for $3.30 that includes fruits, veggies and milk. The GLCS Health and Wellness Committee and Chartwells Food Service have been central to this partnership.

“Chartwells Food Service is excited about partnerships with local farmers,” said Diane Northrup, Food Service Director at GLCS. “We have the opportunity to offer a specialty burger of the week while supporting farmers and the local economy.”

Using KBS grass-fed beef has slightly increased the cost to GLCS’s food budget. However, providing students with leaner meat with higher omega 3 fatty acid and increasing awareness of local foods are seen as important benefits of the partnership.

“This is our first step in creating a farm-to-school experience for our students and teachers. An initiative of the Health and Wellness Committee is to teach students where their food comes from, how it is grown, and how it is harvested. We are very excited for this endeavor and the doors it will open,” said Amy Kletzien Riker, Co-Chair of the Health and Wellness Committee.

“KBS is excited to participate in the Farm to School partnership at GLCS, and will encourage other farms in the community to get involved in supplying beef to GLCS and other schools,” said Brook Wilke, KBS Farm Manager.

The beef is being processed and handled by Pease Packing Corporation in Scotts, a USDA-inspected meat processing facility. If you have questions or ideas about the program, contact KBS Farm Manager Brook Wilke or GLCS Health and Wellness Committee Co-Chair Amy Kletzien Riker. To learn more, view the Gull Lake High School Reflections story on the partnership.