May 2018 Newsletter
Dear Friends,

At BGP we are excited for the planning and evaluation months to come while students are on summer break. In part, we will be reviewing the equipment inventory to identify cafeteria needs for scratch cooking. See what equipment you might want to consider on THIS LIST we developed.

This month the 'Aina Pono team led by Lt. Governor Chin met with Senator Hirono at Mililiani High School to share the progress made on getting more nutritious, scratch-cooked food in school meals. Read about her visit HERE . Beyond Green Partners is honored to work alongside team 'Aina Pono, a collaborative public-private partnership between School Food Services Branch/Hawaii Department of Education, the Lieutenant Governor's office, and the Kohala Center to increase the local agricultural economy and connect children to the food system.
Featured Article
Measured success: Finding savings in the school garbage
Schools play an important role in reducing food waste and in educating the next generation that natural resources are finite—and that it is our responsibility to protect the Earth. In tossing a partially eaten apple into the trash, we also are throwing away the labor of the farmer; the gifts of sun, rain and soil; the energy needed to transport the apple long distances; and the human care in making sure the apple gets safely to our plates.

The USDA’s Economic Research Service estimates that 31 percent of the overall food supply at the retail and consumer level goes uneaten in the United States. Through data collection, we begin to uncover where waste occurs, and at the same time, to free up the money to purchase fresh, locally grown ingredients. Armed with information, we can discuss solutions and make changes to improve the health of our students, our communities, the environment and the economy.
New Course For Cafeteria Managers, School Administration, and Key Stakeholders
Using 15 years of helping schools transition to scratch-cooked, local food programs driven by kitchen efficiencies, data, and making delicious food, Chef Greg and his team created a course for schools to follow at their own pace to create a farm to school cafeteria program.

Click HERE for more information about Dream a New Dream: Operational Manual for Farm to School Programs.
School Food Resources
LeanPath

Learn how to Conduct a Food Waste Audit for Your Foodservice Operation.
Beyond Green Partners developed a manual and tools for tracking waste from the kitchen and the cafeteria dining room.

The money to cook local food from scratch comes from reducing plate waste and overproduction which averages 30% in most cafeterias.
We loved seeing long time friends and making new ones at the Green Schools Conference & Expo in Denver. A giant thank you to all the people who worked hard to make the event such a success. We are grateful to learn from the best and brightest dedicating their lives to the sustainability of our schools and future.
Thanks again for the continued support. Drop us a line (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or the old fashioned way), we would love to hear from you!

Sincerely,

Greg Christian
312-275-6801