BOSTON -- The hustle and bustle of the Waltham's Northeast Elementary School cafeteria is a long way from the farm, but farm fresh ideas are on the today's lunch menu.

School Serves Up Farm-Fresh Produce

NewsCenter 5's David Brown reported that the fresh summer squash and zucchini that are being served were picked just down the road at Waltham Field's Community Farm.

This is the Farm to School Program -- organic, good for kids produce, grown locally is being served to area school children.

"Farms have a big role to play in helping to connect kids with fresh healthy produce in a way that has some meaning to it and can help them be inspired to eat more of those fruits and vegetables," said Claire Kozower, of Waltham Fields Community Farm.

Three thousand lunches are served in Waltham -- all with healthy fresh food choices. The goal is to teach the value of farm fresh food. On the farm the goal is to spread the message of sustainable farming -- to let the kids know where their food comes from.

"That they know how their food gets grown -- that they touch their food when it comes out of the ground. That connection between kids and food and land is a pretty neat one to be able to make," said farm manager Amanda Cather.

Six hundred pounds of produce is grown this year for the Waltham public schools -- from sweet potatoes to butternut squash.

"Kids can drive by that farm and now say, 'We had vegetables from that farm, and we can learn about it,'" principal Nadene Stein said.