Big new machines help Springfield bring ‘scratch’ cooking to 25,000 students

Sep 17, 2023

SPRINGFIELD — Better gear, better grub.

For Abby Getman-Skillicorn, student engagement manager at Home Grown Springfield, preparing the best foods for the city's students boils down to having the best tools.

Home Grown Springfield opened its doors this week so members of the Springfield School Committee could tour its state-of-the-art Culinary and Nutrition Center.

The tour highlighted upgrades to equipment, utensils and recipes used in the preparation of meals for the district's students.

Upgrades include a room-sized glass chiller, additional loading and receiving docks, programmable self-cleaning ovens, new 100-gallon water kettles, a new barcode system and new partnerships.

The aim of the upgrades is to bring local control to what is served to students in the district.

"The new equipment has allowed for the district to make more local food at scale," said Getman-Skillicorn.

On Tuesday, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick and School Committee members Joesiah I. González, Barbara Gresham and Latonia Monroe Naylor toured the culinary and nutrition center at 75 Cadwell Drive.

This is a sample of a school food item, mashed potato with gravy, made by Home Grown Springfield at its Culinary and Nutrition Center. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican / MassLive)

Warwick said people are taking notice of the change.

"They’ve worked very hard to re-direct that age-old adage about school lunches. They have gone above and beyond," he said. "We’ve had terrific feedback, this school year especially, about the options, quality and appearance of school lunches and breakfasts."

Executive Chef Mike Wilcott believes his facility can match any of its kind in the state.

The district is now able to provide the freshest, healthiest options for its more than 25,000 students, according to Azell Cavaan, the district spokesperson.

One big new tool, a ribbon blender, can mix up to 375 pounds of food for things like the meatballs being created with fresh recipes. Home Grown Springfield prepares school meals from scratch to USDA standards.

"The ribbon blenders give us more local control as to what products are new and to USDA standard," Getman-Skillicorn said. "We are able to mix our own blends, while other districts are at the mercy of companies like General Mills to make the changes for them."

As it creates new recipes, the "from scratch" kitchen is backed by outside experts and hundreds of taste tests with students and families.

"We are working with Holyoke Community College culinary training center and the University of Massachusetts Food Science Department to work out the kinks," Getman-Skillicorn said.

According to Getman-Skillicorn, a composting operation sends food waste to Vanguard Renewables in Weston, where it is processed, and then on the Joe Czajkowski Farm, 86 Comins Road in Hadley, as a part of a larger sustainability effort.

"The compost comes full circle in this building," Getman-Skillicorn said.

Home Grown Springfield's Culinary and Nutrition Center, at 75 Cadwell Drive, feeds 25,000 students daily. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican)

Additionally, there will be a farm-to-school food summit March 18. That's designed to help teachers learn how to compost in their school lunchrooms.

"It really has to be done as a schoolwide effort," Getman-Skillicorn said.

In addition to the farm-to-school summit, a student recipe contest was held Wednesday.

Along with keeping students fed, the program is shaping activities like One Mighty Mill, a pizza-making event in which students will learn about milling wheat.

At the end of Tuesday's tour, School Committee members were treated to pulled pork and homemade meatballs — compliments of chef Drew Hall, inspired by his grandmother's recipe.

Catering manager Sarah Belanger prepares a sample of Spanish pork roast on Tuesday. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican / MassLive)

González said he was impressed by what he saw at Home Grown Springfield.

"The students say to us, ‘You don't know what we have to eat,’" González said. "On the record, it is delicious."

Gresham, another committee member, said the operation is much bigger than it looks on the outside. She calls the building an asset to the community and city.

Patrick Roach, chief financial and operations officer with the Springfield Public Schools, said the goal is to ensure that each of Springfield's 63 schools has a smaller version of the kitchen and equipment available at Home Grown Springfield.

With state and federal pandemic funding, at least two school kitchens a year have been upgraded, he said after the tour.

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