HEREFORDSHIRE parents and school governors are being encouraged to support an initiative that aims to improve children's health, protect the environment and boost the rural economy.

More than 65 delegates have already signed up for a conference being held in Monmouth on September 4 to help schools source more produce for school dinners from local suppliers.

The initiative is spearheaded by the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Sustain: the Alliance for Better Food and Farming.

Catherine Fookes, development officer for the Wye Valley AONB, says she is delighted at the interest in the conference, but would still welcome more representatives from schools in Herefordshire.

"We have had an excellent response, but some school heads feel unable to send a representative because the event is being held during the first week of the new term. Many do not realise that our invitation is also open to interested parents or school governors, who may have more time available to attend."

Key speakers will include Jeanette Orrey who will talk about how her primary school "opted out" of the centralised provision of school meals. It now buys vegetables and meat from local farm shops and milk from a local farm that has a dairy.

The conference will also hear from Kay Knight, head of catering for South Gloucestershire, where 115 primary, secondary and special schools now source local food, and where primary school children can enjoy "fruit tuck" - fresh fruit cut up by kitchen staff and sold at break time.

Strategy

The AONB is also keen for more local farmers and producers to attend the conference. A further speaker at the conference will be Les Fearn, co-ordinator of the Wiltshire Regional Producers Network who will explain how he set up a producers' co-operative to supply schools.

Around 65% of the land in the Wye Valley AONB is farmed and the AONB is developing a foods strategy to help farmers and growers develop a local market for their produce.

"We believe that this is better for the environment and the local economy and assists conservation," said Catherine Fookes. "Consumers also benefit - local food is generally fresher, healthier and better quality."

"One of the aims of our local food strategy is to increase the public sector's use of local produce. This is aligned to Sustain's "Sustainable Food Chains" project, so we have joined with them in our better school dinners initiative. We want to help state and independent schools, nursery schools and further education colleges throughout the AONB and the surrounding area to work within existing regulations to use local producers for school dinners and catering supplies."

The conference at Bridges Community Centre in Monmouth is open to anyone associated with school catering, who is interested in finding out more about providing healthier, better quality, locally produced food to pupils. Local producers, teachers, parents, governors, head teachers, procurement managers, catering managers and healthy schools co-ordinators are all welcome.

For further information or to book a place on the free conference, please contact Catherine Fookes, tel: 01600 710841, e-mail development@wyevalleyaonb.co.uk.