Groton ― A group of children on Monday enjoyed a lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches, cucumbers, apple slices and milk at a table outside on the summer day, as state Department of Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt asked them about their favorite fruits and vegetables.

Strawberries, apples, bananas and watermelon and broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cucumbers were among the kids’ top picks, and they also talked about their favorite types of apples.

Hurlburt visited two Groton Public Schools’ summer meal sites on Monday in Navy housing to see firsthand the school district’s efforts to provide healthy meals to students and to support agriculture.

Samantha Ward was at the table with her two daughters, and Jacqueline Hardison was there with her six children. Ward said the children go to school together during the year so they have been enjoying meeting for lunch in the summertime.

“It helps save you from having to do lunches yourself too because money is tight and lunches are expensive and they get all to play, so it’s definitely helpful,” Hardison added.

Ernie Koschmieder, food service director for Groton Public Schools, said that when school is closed for the summer, the need grows for access to healthy, well-balanced meals.

The schools’ food service department offers free summertime breakfasts and lunches to children 18 and younger at 12 sites in Groton, as well as three sites this summer in Norwich, he said. The United States Department of Agriculture funds the free summer meal program.

Koschmieder estimates that kids will receive about 25,000 to 30,000 meals by the end of the summer program.

He said the food service department also ties the summer meals in with Groton’s Farm to School program, and on Monday, families received lettuce from Maple Lane Farms in Preston. He said families on Fridays receive a free bag of produce, and Groton Utilities provides funding for the purchase of local products.

Koschmieder said the school district’s Farm to School program has a garden at every school and taste testing so kids can learn about different types of foods and where they come from, he said.

Superintendent of Schools Susan Austin said 51% of Groton students qualify for free and reduced lunch during the school year. Four Groton schools, with the largest number of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, offer meals at no charge to all students who attend those schools.

Captain Kenneth Curtin Jr., commanding officer of the Naval Submarine Base, thanked the food service department for meeting the dire need for meals during the summer, especially for young Navy families and at a time of high food prices.

Curtin explained that a large portion of the military population is junior enlisted personnel who don’t make a lot of money for today’s economy, especially for a family with children and one spouse out to sea. He said the meals are a great benefit for the families.

Earlier in the day, at the first site Hurlburt visited on Gungywamp Road, Ebbie Abbott, food service assistant manager, held up a wrapped sandwich, cucumber and apple slices, to show 1-year-old Esme Broadhead the food she was receiving for lunch.

Autumn Broadhead, Esme’s mother, said they live nearby and saw a sign for the free lunch and decided to try it out for her daughter. She said they keep coming back because of Abbott, who she said is a lot of fun, and her daughter enjoys the meals.

Hurlburt noted how happy the kids were at the meal sites and said his visit reaffirmed the importance of the types of programs Groton offers.

“The need is always there, and our staff and ourselves will always be out there to support that need,” said Kristina Roberge, food service coordinator. “You can just look at these faces, and they're happy. Along with good nutrition, happy bellies make happy faces.”

k.drelich@theday.com