KELSEYVILLE — CBS television crews filmed at Kelseyville schools Friday while preparing a piece about the district”s Farm to School program. It”s set to air next week on “The Early Show.”
The program, implemented nearly four years ago by Michelle Malm, director of food services for Kelseyville Unified School District (KUSD), seeks to place fresh, local produce on students” plates during the school day.
“We incorporate as much as we possibly can,” Malm said.
County farmers provide fruits and vegetables, including pears, squash and tomatoes, to KUSD Food Services, which then combines the produce into meals and snacks for students in eight schools.
KUSD serves breakfast to more than 1,000 students and nearly 1,200 eat the school lunches, according to Malm.
“I think it”s a great program. The kids are really enjoying having the fruit and vegetables,” KUSD cook Nettie Worthington said.
CBS developed the idea to visit Kelseyville after a production assistant read an article online about Malm”s program, according to Megan Kamins, producer for “The Early Show.”
“We thought it was a great story,” she said.
The show is putting together a series on “how people are making America work” during difficult economic times and the KUSD program”s story fit the framework perfectly, according to Kamins.
The producer noted the “symbiotic relationship” that exists between the schools, which purchase the produce, and the local farmers, who supply fresh fruits and vegetables for students.
Malm said she hadn”t been too worked up since networks representatives first contacted her about two weeks ago, but the excitement amplified when the anticipated became reality Friday morning.
“It”s amazing,” she said. “And now that it”s happening, I”m more happy for my kids and my staff because they work so hard.”
CBS crews followed Malm during her Friday and filmed at various locations in the county, including Kelseyville High School and Seely”s Farm Stand, one of the program”s providers.
Crewmembers interviewed students, school staff and local growers about the Farm to School program.
“I just think it”s a great accomplishment for our district to have a top-notch food services program,” KUSD Superintendent Dave McQueen said. “It”s good that our students are eating better, healthier because of Michelle”s work.”
Six CBS representatives, including “The Early Show” co-anchor Erica Hill, spent just a day in Lake County, arriving at the Skylark Shores Resort in Lakeport late Thursday night and leaving after wrapping up in Kelseyville Friday evening.
“It”s just an absolutely beautiful place to wake up,” Hill said of her first trip to the county.
Crewmembers traveled from San Francisco, Los Angeles and even New York for the shoot.
The crews captured two stories in Northern California this week, working Thursday on another piece for the upcoming series about a yoga instructor in San Lorenzo who started an exercise program in an area school.
The series, which is set to begin airing on Monday, will feature real-life stories from across the country.
The segment about KUSD”s Farm to School program is expected to be aired nationally Wednesday morning on “The Early Show.”
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
