Lamar School District Celebrates Graduates with Locally Sourced Meals

In its ongoing commitment to support local agriculture and deliver quality meals to students, Lamar School District is proud to announce special local menu offerings in honor of upcoming student graduations.

On May 5th, middle school students making the exciting transition to high school will be treated to a locally inspired lunch featuring house-made beef patties from Colorado-raised cattle and lettuce from Summer’s House. The beef is processed by Wiley Food Processing located in the heart of southeastern Colorado.

Later in the month, on May 14th, graduating seniors will celebrate with a hearty breakfast of ground steak and eggs, with 90% of the meal’s ingredients sourced locally. This initiative is more than a celebration—it’s a community-driven effort to honor the hard work of students.

“This is all about community supporting community,” says Andrew Strenger, Director of Dining at Lamar School District. “We see the benefits (of local purchasing). Summer’s House lettuce, for example, stays fresher longer and has noticeably better quality than produce from distributors. It’s these kinds of small steps that make a big difference.”

The district has been increasingly focused on integrating local foods into its menus, including preparing their own beans and beef patties in-house.  Lamar School District aims to use local ingredients whenever possible.

Strenger, who brings 18 years of experience in food service and holds a bachelor’s degree in Restaurant and Tourism Management, previously served as Assistant Director of Food Services in East Otero before joining Lamar.

While there are some challenges to expanding local purchasing, Strenger remains committed: “We’ll definitely continue with the lettuce and look for more opportunities as they arise.”

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