
Unified School District of De Pere
De Pere is breaking free from the status quo and setting a new standard for school nutrition.
Fueling Healthy Futures
The De Pere School Nutrition Department is driven by its mission to feed its students the healthiest, most nutritious food possible. Beyond simply feeding students, the department aims to equip them with the education and resources necessary to build a foundation for a lifetime of healthy living. This mission extends not only to the students but also to their families and the community. It is more than just food on the plate—the knowledge students are gaining is paramount, along with supporting local growers.
The Farm to School program plays a multifaceted role in this mission. From school gardens and local procurement to education, De Pere is transforming student health and deepening the connection they have with the food they eat.
“The bottom line of our ‘why’ is getting the best food possible into our students,” says Heather Reitmeyer, director of the De Pere School Nutrition Department. “The only way we are going to be able to have that happen is to educate, so that's why we do all our school gardens. That's why we do our in-classroom lessons. The more knowledge and comfort with real food that the students have, the more apt they are to eat it. It's full circle.”
At De Pere, students eat local, fresh foods daily, including unique and exciting produce like watermelon radishes and a variety of tomatoes.
“We can't expect them to understand what a raw turnip is sitting in the lunch line and then eat it unless they get excited about it,” Heather says. “Maybe it's that we talk to them during our classroom lesson about those turnips, or maybe the kids are planting turnip seeds in Spring. Our students are then excited to eat the produce they see at lunch.”
Local food procurement is an important part of the nutrition department’s mission. Initially, De Pere sourced small quantities from local farms like Ledgeview Gardens. The relationship with Darren Vollmar at Ledgeview Gardens set the foundation for working with Seasonal Harvest years later when Darren and Sheri Howard founded the organization. De Pere naturally began purchasing from Seasonal Harvest, which has enhanced the school’s ability to procure fresh, local foods.
“Ultimately, Seasonal Harvest creates the connections that I don't have time to make,” says Heather. “They allow us to purchase from local providers and allow us the variety that is given, everything from dairy to meat to any sort of produce that's available seasonally around here—and it's all in one nice package. It really makes my job a lot easier because I want to bring in all these products, and they make it convenient to do so.”
Heather feels Seasonal Harvest makes the entire process seamless, and they deliver phenomenal produce. Beyond the produce they receive, Seasonal Harvest is also devoted to the school’s success within the Farm to School Program.
“Beyond the ability to receive product from Seasonal Harvest, they also are connected with available grants and have an insight into what the government can open up for us. They are the conduits,” says Heather. “The work that they're doing is impactful, like making those connections, making purchasing easier for us, and allowing us to maybe go beyond what our budget is from the government to be able to purchase locally by securing grants and looking into programs. Without that help, we may not be able to do this to the extent we have.”
Looking ahead, the nutrition department is focused on pushing the boundaries of what is possible, including expanding cooking from scratch and continuing to educate staff on the importance of preparing whole foods from scratch and how to do so.
De Pere is breaking free from the status quo and setting a new standard for school nutrition. Their dedication is fueling student bodies and empowering them to live healthier lives in the future.
More Information
Unified School District of De Pere
1700 Chicago St
De Pere, WI 54115
Contact:
Phone (920)337-1032