A school's nutrition department runs like a self-sustained business, covering everything from food and labor to equipment repairs and benefits without support from the district’s general fund, explains Stacy Nelson, food and nutrition director with the School District of the Menomonie Area. Each meal served generates between $0.50 and $4.70 through federal and state reimbursements, making participation the lifeline of the program, she explains. That’s why the loss of the Local Food for Schools funding, which was supposed to bring another $9 million to Wisconsin schools this year, hit hard for schools, farmers, and communities alike. Still, Nelson and other nutrition leaders are finding creative ways to keep local food on students’ plates. Sometimes that means sourcing “seconds” from orchards — apples that don’t make the cut for U-Pick customers but are still perfectly good for school lunches — or working with local farmers to plan special events. This fall, a group of Dunn County dairy farmers teamed up with the district to launch “Eat Local Day,” featuring grilled cheese made with Wisconsin cheese and paired with homemade roasted tomato soup prepared with fresh tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic from a nearby farm.