Reporting and photos courtesy of Vermont FEED.

Brattleboro's school district recently had the highest number of students choosing to take a school lunch in a single day — and for the first time, the meal included whole wheat sourdough rolls from a local bakery. Of the 1,200 rolls delivered that day, all were eaten.

Local bread is rare in school cafeterias. Districts need large, consistent volumes that meet strict nutrition rules (school bread must be at least half whole wheat), and most small bakeries aren't set up to supply at that scale.

Wheat is difficult to grow locally in Vermont's short, wet growing season. In the last few years, though, Vermont's local wheat sector has been growing in response to increased demand.

The rolls came from Butter Mountain Bakery, a Vermont bakery leading the way in locally sourced bread. "Two years ago, selling to schools felt totally out of the question," the owner said. Usually, you'll find them selling bread on a much smaller scale, for example at farmers markets.

A grant program called On the Rise, run by NOFA-VT, helped fund the equipment upgrades — bigger ovens, more cold storage — needed to supply large customers like a school district.

Before adding the rolls permanently, the district collected feedback from students through its monthly "Harvest of the Month" taste tests. The response was overwhelmingly positive.

The rolls won't replace the district's full bread supply, but their plan is to serve the rolls once a month. This makes a big difference in Butter Mountain Bakery's overall sales and offers the students a monthly treat on their lunch menus.

Full story and photos: Vermont FEED