For 20 years, Paulette Weber has worked in the kitchen at Logan Middle School.

“We usually have three hot entrees and three cold entrees," Paulette said. "We’ll have two different kinds of sandwiches and we’ll have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

She says there are still some students who tend to just take an entrée and milk. But Paulette believes if you start healthy habits early in school, it’ll pay off in the long-run.

“I noticed that last year’s crop of sixth graders were very good vegetable eaters and this year, they’re in seventh grade and they’re the grade that takes the most," Paulette said.

And this year, kids at four schools will be getting more fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms in La Crosse and neighboring counties

"What we’d like to do is see and generate is an increased energy and enthusiasm that students have for wanting to eat new, fresh different, nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables," said School District of La Crosse Supervisor of School Nutrition Joni Ralph.

A $60,000 federal grant, is paying for the program. Logan Middle School is one of the four schools in the District of La Crosse to get the locally grown foods. It’s a program organizers say will hopefully encourage students to eat healthier and help combat obesity.

“In our school district, that’s what I’ve decided we really need to focus on because we know that children are not getting the total amount of servings every day of fruit and vegetable consumption," Ralph said.

Some of the produce from the farms will go to all of the schools in the district, like rhubarb cake, which is on the menu for next week.

"A lot of the processes that we’re looking at right now revolve around recipe development, timing of the receipt of the product and how do we go about the distribution of it," Ralph said.

“I think it’s good that we’re getting new food and to try new stuff,” said Logan Middle School Student Chloe Malin.

Her friend and fellow eighth grader Madelyn Wozney says,"I’m kinda excited. I’m glad we get fresh fruit and I’m glad that it’s from local farms around here.”

And with the new program now in place, Paulette says she’s looking forward to the challenge of preparing new produce.

“We’re getting it fresh from the farm. Then we’re gonna have to be cleaning it and freezing it ourselves," she said.

Paulette says that may mean more preparation work, but she says she knows it’ll be worth it when students start trying new things and eating healthier.

Ralph says the federal grant money will keep the program going through March 2012. She says they’re working with the county to keep it going beyond that date.

The School District of La Crosse is hosting a Farm to School kickoff event in which all it students are invited. The event is on Thursday, Sept. 16 from 4-7pm at Clearwater Farm in Onalaska.