Hawaii's Big Island is swapping imported beef for locally raised meat in public school cafeterias, and students say they can taste the difference.

• Parker Ranch beef is now on school lunch menus across Kohala, Waimea, Hamakua Coast, and Hilo.
• It's showing up in dishes like paniolo pasta, sloppy joes, and chili cheese nachos.
• Schools have served nearly 8,000 pounds of the local beef since the partnership started.
• Students say the local beef tastes fresher than the mainland beef shipped in before.
• The Department of Education wants to bring similar local-beef partnerships to Maui and Kauai next.

Outlook: Expect the program to expand to more Hawaii islands if it keeps proving popular with students.