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Allegra Boverman/Gloucester Daily Times. FoodCorps members Connie Chuensumran, left, and Anna Swanson challenge Veterans' Memorial Elementary School children in line to get their lunches on Wednesday to guess what kind of vegetable they are dressed as during the school's Food Day held Wednesday. The national day is actually held on Oct. 24. Food Day is a national day to celebrate healthy, sustainable, affordable food. The featured vegetable was butternut squash, which is what they were dressed as, and it was provided to the school by local farms including Marshall Farms in Gloucester and Mehaffey Farm in Rowley, and sponsored by the school, Gloucester Public School Food Service, Cape Ann Farmers' Market, local farmers, Backyard Growers, The Open Door and FoodCorps. The butternut squash was roasted in olive oil, salt and pepper and dusted with cinnamon in some batches and brown sugar in others. Students were encouraged to sample them and many students wanted seconds and thirds. They were worried that there wouldn't be enough for all the lunch periods, the squash was such a hit.

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