CPAC, potato shippers funding salad bars across Colorado
CPAC, potato shippers funding salad bars across Colorado
When Potatoes USA launched its Salad Bar Challenge initiative on April 15, 2015, the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee had somewhat of a head start in the nationwide effort with two salad bars in place in metro Denver’s Mapleton School District.
CPAC Assistant Director Linda Weyers explained that Potatoes USA had challenged the national potato industry to sponsor 3,000 salad bars over a five-year period, and CPAC was “kind of the guinea pig for the project.”
Employees of the Sanford School lunch program are shown with one of the two new salad bars provided by the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee. Photo courtesy of CPAC
In that first year, with its members contributing to the cause and matching funds from Potatoes USA, CPAC has donated several salad bars around the state and region, and more are planned between now and the end of FY 2015.
“Right now we have funded 15 with our shippers, and there will be a total of 20 this fiscal year,” Weyers said in late March. “We are still budgeting funding for next year,” she added.
Eleven salad bars have gone to Colorado schools since the first of this year, Weyers said. “Sanford School in southern Colorado received two — one a regular-sized salad bar and the other a smaller size for the elementary students. And Durango in the southwestern part of the state received nine salad bars through the funding from CPAC and Potatoes USA.
“The kids are so thankful,” Weyers said.
She noted that to date the sheds and farms participating in the CPAC challenge are Mark Peterson, Rockey Farms, Martinez Farms, Kurt Kaiser, Keith Holland Farm, Mike Mitchell Farms, Price Farms, Aspen Produce, VanTreese Farms, Hi-Land Potato Co., RPE Colorado and the Colorado fruit and Vegetables Growers.
