Locally sourced food truck makes way to Madison schools

MADISON, Wis. (WISC) - Madison high schoolers can look forward to a unique grab-and-go lunch option starting this week.

REAP Food Group is partnering with Madison Metropolitan School District to bring a food truck donated by Roth Cheese last spring to Madison’s four public high schools.

Food from the Uproot truck counts as a reimbursable school lunch, which REAP’s executive director, Helen Sarakinos, said is important, because half of MMSD’s student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch.

“I think it's great to reframe that school food can be delicious and fun. And we tend to forget that sometimes,” she said. “We get caught up in it being healthy and nutritious and it's got to follow all these things, but it can be delicious and fun too, and it'll be exciting to see that."

Examples of lunch options include different types of rice bowls and sliders.

Two MMSD staff members will serve food on the truck, along with one REAP team member to educate students on the locally sourced food.

"So not just the food, but the kids might see it and be like, 'Hey, why does it say farm to school on the side of that truck? It says locally grown. What does that mean and why is that a good thing?'” REAP farm to school director Natasha Smith said. “And (we can) kind of engage them a little bit more in the process of where food comes from.”

Madison West, East, Memorial and La Follette high schools will get one a day a week with the food truck through the rest of the school year.

The truck launches Tuesday at La Follette.

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