CARBONDALE, Colorado — Kate Adamick, a noted national consultant on institutional meal reform, is visiting the Roaring Fork School District this week to assess school lunch programs for a possible pilot program that’s under consideration for next school year.

Adamick is the principal of Food Systems Solutions LLC, based in New York City. The organization focuses on farm-to-cafeteria programs as a way to improve food service in schools, hospitals and retirement communities.

She visited Basalt schools on Tuesday, and will be at Crystal River Elementary School in Carbondale at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday for an open meeting to discuss food service options with parents and school administrators. Similar meetings will take place in Glenwood Springs on Thursday and Friday.

Adamick’s visit is being sponsored by the Aspen-based Children’s Health Foundation, which is underwriting a healthy meals pilot program in the Garfield School District Re-2 and in Aspen schools this year.

The Roaring Fork School District is considering a similar program to implement in Glenwood Springs, Carbondale and Basalt schools next fall.

“We’ll be looking to see what the schools are serving, and what kinds of options we can present,” said Mardell Burkholder, executive director of the Children’s Health Foundation. The local organization works with the Colorado Health Foundation to fund nutrition programs in local schools.

The idea is to move away from processed food and more toward fresh produce, especially locally produced food, she said.

“We will make recommendations to the district based on the feedback we hear, and then it’s up to the district to decide what to do,” Burkholder said.

Contact John Stroud: 384-9160

jstroud@postindependent.com