Though children are the focus year-round at Turlock Unified School District's Child Nutrition Education Center, the district’s central kitchen, many kids and their families had never been inside the walls. That changed on Wednesday afternoon during the third annual Farm to School Expo.
The free event was held in collaboration with the Center for Ecoliteracy’s California Food for California Kids Network, a nonprofit that supports and encourages schools to serve more fresh and local school meals and provide food education for students, to celebrate Farm to School Month. This year’s festivities marked the tenth year of the network, which has grown to over 140 school districts serving 2.3 million students throughout the state.
“All students deserve nourishing meals at school,” said Alexa Norstad, executive director of the Center for Ecoliteracy. “California produces nearly half of our nation’s fruits and vegetables, yet students’ access to this abundance is limited in our school food systems. We're proud to celebrate reaching more students with fresh produce from local farmers.”
California was the first state in the nation to provide all transitional K-12 public school students with universal school meals, guaranteeing free school breakfast and lunch for all students, regardless of socioeconomic status. Farm to School month celebrates the accomplishment while spreading the word of how districts can do so while supporting local agricultural businesses and healthy eating.
“With this progress, it is more important than ever that school districts prioritize relationships with California farmers, source local fruits and vegetables, and prepare delicious meals that students love,” the Center for Ecoliteracy said in a press release.
Not only did the expo allow for tours of the facility at 1901 Auto Mall Drive, but student organizations and community partners organized information booths and held interactive activities.
Workers from the Child Nutrition Education Center offered free fruits, veggies and snacks like fruit cups and guacamole and chips featuring ingredients from the TUSD Farm to visitors, FFA members from the Turlock and Pitman high school chapters showcased some of their projects, the Turlock Irrigation District showed attendees how they provide water and power to the region, Zesty Urban Farms informed visitors of the growing popularity and benefits of microgreens, and Stanislaus State’s Agriculture Department provided information on the program and some of their recent projects. Also in attendance were folks from the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau and Ag Link.
“Partnership has been key to the success of California Farm to School and universal school meals. By connecting local farmers, school districts, and nonprofits, we’re moving away from over-processed school food to fresh, nutritious, and delicious school meals sourced from local ingredients; we’re also inspiring the next generation of climate stewards,” added First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom in the release. “The Center for Ecoliteracy has been a steadfast partner in ensuring more and more California students have access to nutritious meals as well as education about the origins of their food and food systems.”
