CARIBOU, Maine — Hilltop Elementary School second graders were treated to a first-hand look at how their favorite foods are handled at their local Hannaford supermarket on Monday.
The tour was primarily led by Produce Manager Francis Belanger who, after 47 years at Hannaford, will be retiring in June.
After Belanger introduced himself to the class, Deli Operations Supervisor Cindy Trombley showed students how special cakes are made, explained where the market’s many cheeses come from, and even took out a live lobster for the students to view.
Second graders showed a mix of excitement and apprehension as Trombley showed the class a trick in which one of the lobsters was able to dive back into the tank once taken out.
Belanger’s portion of the tour began in the produce section, where he explained Hannaford’s newly implemented “star rating system,” which grades foods based on their nutritional value.
“These guiding stars will tell you how healthy something is,” Belanger said. “These navel oranges have three stars, which are the best you can get. Two stars are pretty good, and when you get over to some of the other groceries, you’ll see items that don’t have any stars. This isn’t because they’re not good for you, but because they’re not tested yet since it’s a new program Hannaford set up. But nearly everything in the produce section has three stars.”
Belanger explained to students that choosing to eat healthy at a young age can save them a small fortune when they get older.
“You see that big word up there that says, ‘Pharmacy?’” Belanger said, pointing toward Hannaford’s drugstore. “If you buy this food now, you won’t have to pay them later. If you get up to my age, if you don’t eat healthy, you’ll have to buy a lot of pills to stay healthy, so think about the future and save yourselves some money.”
Hilltop Second Grade Teacher Gayle Smart, whose class participated in the May 8 tour, said Belanger will be missed by many students, teachers, and community members when he retires this summer.
“We come here every year to learn about where food comes from and he’s the man who does it for us. He does such a great job, and we’re gonna miss him.” said Smart, adding that many students remember Belanger as adults.
Mary Theriault, who teaches another second grade class at Hilltop, offered similar remarks about Belanger.
“[Belanger] does such a wonderful job with the children and has for years,” Theriault said. “ He enjoys it so much, he will even come in on his day off if he needs to.”
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- Second graders from Hilltop Elementary School enjoyed a tour of Hannaford, led by Produce Manager Francis Belanger, on May 8 and learned where their groceries come from and how to pick healthy foods. Participating in the tour, are (front, from left) Rylee Williams, Isabella Clayton, Faith Lagasse, Aalaya Daigle, Connor Cormier, Denisia Sheehan; (middle row, from left) Seth Dubay, Nicolas Plourde, Brody Disy, Serenity LaPlante, Emiley Hite, Jensen Doughty, Gloria Dionne, Kathryn Bragdon; and (back, from left) Ian Lister, Finn Broad, Belanger, Mason St.Peter, Lexie Doughty, second grade teacher Gayle Smart. (Christopher Bouchard)
