By: Ananya Kumar, Communications Intern
In the heart of Southeast Alaska lies a small island community, home to Petersburg Borough School District with just 466 students across three schools. With its history as a Norwegian fishing village and diverse cultural influences from Filipino, Hispanic, Ukrainian, and Russian populations, this community thrives on its connection to the sea. Carlee Johnson McIntosh, the district’s food service director since 2011, has been at the helm of transforming the school’s meal program, incorporating local seafood and fresh produce while preserving the community’s heritage.
Revitalizing the School Meal Program
When Carlee first arrived, the school’s food program was a simple reheat-and-serve operation, offering processed meals with little connection to local foods. But over the years, Carlee has spearheaded significant improvements, including the introduction of cooking kitchens and the district’s first salad bar. During the pandemic, the district's new kitchen facilities got a soft launch, allowing for a gradual shift towards fresh, scratch-cooked meals.
Carlee’s efforts to incorporate local seafood into school meals have been a game changer. In the early years, the district received fish sporadically, but today, students can enjoy a variety of Alaskan fish, including halibut, coho and sockeye salmon, fresh tuna, Alaskan pollock, Black cod, and even herring eggs, a traditional food harvested on kelp and served as a high-protein addition to the salad bar. These efforts tie into Alaska Native food traditions and provide students with culturally relevant meals that are both nutritious and flavorful.
Serving Local Seafood
One of the standout features of the school district’s meal program is its commitment to offering regional seafood. On a six-week cycle menu, students can enjoy seafood dishes at least once, sometimes more. Some of the student favorites include rockfish tacos and halibut chili, offering a taste of different fish species from across Alaska.
Students also get to participate in unique taste tests that teach them about the diversity of seafood available in their region. For example, students had the chance to compare the flavors of sockeye, coho, chum, and king salmon, learning that while king salmon may have the highest reputation, the other varieties also offer delicious, nuanced flavors!
Carlee highlights that the district serves regional proteins beyond fish as well. For example, moose, another Alaskan staple, is sometimes substituted for beef through a special program that allows the school district to receive confiscated illegally hunted meat. Last year, the school received 250 pounds of moose, which replaced beef in items such as spaghetti and tacos. This program connects students to local, culturally relevant food items, while not letting poached meat go to waste.
Building Relationships with Local Fishers, Farmers, and the Community
The school district works closely with local organizations like OBI Seafoods, a nearby cannery that provides local Alaskan fish for the district. While USDA regulations require fish to be processed before it can be served in schools, OBI helps by donating part of the processing costs, making it more affordable for the district to serve high-quality seafood.
In addition to local seafood, the district also buys local vegetables like fingerling potatoes, carrots, and rhubarb from Farragut Farms, a vegetable farm 25 miles north of Petersburg. Husband-and-wife team Bo Varsano and Marja Smets run the farm, growing produce without pesticides, herbicides, or commercial fertilizers. Instead, they use compost made from seaweed, fish waste, and beach grass harvested from the nearby shore.
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Their partnership began naturally when Carlee was initially looking to incorporate more local produce into her district’s school meals, since Farragut Farms is one of the only commercial farms in the Petersburg area. “Carlee approached us and said, ‘Hey, I understand you’re trying to feed the community—we’ll take any extra!’ She’s been super enthusiastic about getting local food into the school kitchen," Marja shared. "Carlee really goes above and beyond, more than anyone I’ve worked with. She’s such a cheerleader for local food, and it’s really encouraging."
The Petersburg region is made up of a collection of islands, which poses a unique challenge for local produce procurement. Farragut Farms is located on the mainland, so Marja and Bo deliver their vegetables to the Petersburg school district with their catamaran via a four-hour boat ride.
The partnership between Petersburg school district and Farragut Farms has grown over the years, with the demand from school meals providing the farm with a consistent market opportunity. Farragut Farms now provides larger quantities of produce, such as 500 pounds of potatoes or carrots at a time. "As a farmer, it’s really nice knowing that the kids are getting local food and knowing where it’s coming from," Marja added.
"As a farmer, it’s really nice knowing that the kids are getting local food and knowing where it’s coming from," — Marja Smets, Farragut Farms
Marja takes pride in selling her produce to local schools and encourages other small farmers to consider working with schools: "While most small farms turn to farmers markets or CSAs for revenue, there’s also a big demand for local produce from schools. I would encourage small farms to ask around."
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Alaska Native traditions are also woven into the fabric of the school’s culinary program. The district partners with the Petersburg Indian Association to bring Indigenous food knowledge into the classroom, teaching students how to harvest local ingredients and use them in everyday cooking. This not only enriches the students’ cultural understanding but also honors the stewardship of the land and ocean by the area’s Indigenous peoples.
Looking Forward: Farm to School Month
This October, the school district is gearing up to celebrate Farm to School Month with a variety of activities, including the Healthy Meals Summit, which coincides with National School Lunch Week and Indigenous Peoples’ Month. With so many ideas brewing, Carlee and her team are excited to continue showcasing local foods and connecting students with the producers who nourish their community.
Petersburg Borough School District’s farm & sea to school program offers a powerful example of how schools can embrace local food systems to create healthier, more culturally relevant meals for students. Through her work, Carlee is not only improving school lunches but also strengthening the connection between students and the rich natural resources of their island home.
Stay tuned for more spotlights on farm and sea to school programs across the country as we celebrate National Farm to School Month this October!
Thank you to our official 2024 National Farm to School Month sponsors, CoBank and National Education Association, for supporting this work.