By Jennifer Gerard, R.D., Center for Ecoliteracy, California Food for California Kids Program Director

What’s your favorite day of the week? For many students in California — it’s Thursday.

On Thursdays, over 1.7 million students in schools that participate in the California Thursdays program know they’ll be offered a lunch freshly prepared from California ingredients. California Thursdays is a celebration of local food, the people who produce and prepare it, and the significant connections that exist between children, food, and their environment.

California Thursdays is also a powerful tool to increase consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, stimulate local economies, and decrease the transportation required for distribution — decreasing emissions and increasing freshness.

California Thursdays is led by the Center for Ecoliteracy, a not-for-profit which provides support, inspiration, and resources for the program. Participating school districts adopt the California Thursdays program in their own brilliant and unique ways — as you’ll see in two stories below.

Encinitas Union School District (EUSD) has taken the farm to school movement literally — by building a farm on district property. The Farm Lab serves as both an outdoor education site and a production farm — providing the district’s cafeterias with locally grown lettuces, herbs, zucchini, snap peas, celery, melons, and up to 300 pounds of tomatoes per week during peak season. While much of the harvest occurs in summer when school is out, the Child Nutrition Services team doesn’t miss a beat. They roast tomatoes, shred zucchini (with their industrial cheese grater), and freeze both for a marinara sauce to serve when students return. Herbs such as oregano, basil, and rosemary are dried over the course of several weeks, utilizing repurposed wire food-transport racks lined with parchment paper. Once dried, the herbs are coarsely ground and stored in airtight containers for use in pizza and marinara sauce. Through processes like these, EUSD is able to prepare a delicious, meaningful meal that exceeds USDA nutrition requirements for school meals and inspires change in the conventional school food system.

Pittsburg Unified School District (PUSD) and six neighboring school districts in Contra Costa County saw their California Thursdays kick-off in April of 2015, as the perfect opportunity to combine their purchasing power. They agreed to carry similar salad bar options and many served identical entrées, including a “California Wrap” made with California lavash (which is lower in sodium than traditional tortillas), deli turkey, and cheese. For just one day, their efforts translated in purchases of over 4,000 pounds of local produce, including 1,800 pounds of asparagus bought directly from a grower cooperative. “The coolest part,” reflects Sarah Hanson of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) “was seeing how the directors worked together and exchanged recipes…and convinced each other that it was okay to serve things like asparagus!” CDFA assisted the group with organizational support and sourcing. The group plans on continuing to collectively purchase seasonal produce in the 2016–17 school year for use in their California Thursdays meals. The effort of these harmonious school districts, guided by a statewide movement, has the potential to invest $1.2 million in Contra Costa and nearby counties and shift the landscape towards a more fruitful future for farmers and students.

For now, California Thursdays is a stepping stone to exemplary school meal programs that connect classrooms, cafeterias, and farms statewide. Maybe someday, every day will be a California Thursday.

For more information on California Thursdays, recipes featuring California foods for schools and families, and garden-based curriculum materials, visit www.californiathursdays.org.

***Cross-posted from USDA Blog***

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross visited several flourishing school Ag programs in Calaveras County, getting an opportunity to speak directly with young people who could be part of the next generation of farmers and ranchers in California.
Secretary Ross visited an outdoor classroom at Valley Springs Elementary School, the student-run farm at Calaveras High School, and accompanied students on a field trip to Metzger Farms.
All the venues demonstrated the value of a $22,960 grant from CDFA’s CalAgPlate Program to the Calaveras Future Farmers of America (FFA) and Gardens to Grow In for an Ag mentorship program in the region.
“The power of this program comes from amazing community support at all levels,” said Secretary Ross. “It is truly a model project and a great example of the tremendous benefits coming from the CalAgPlate program.”
The project has developed a farm-to-school program that is based on linking FFA members to local farmers and to elementary and middle school garden and agriculture programs. FFA members are learning about marketing and distribution by running a vegetable box delivery program (CSA) and selling at farmers’ markets. They also are learning the power of service and giving back to their community by working with food banks.

Finding a viable market for fresh fruits and vegetables can seem daunting for new farmers. To show new and small farmers innovative ways of connecting with traditional markets, institutions, and needy populations, the Office of Farm to Fork kicked off the Small Farm Conference this winter in Sacramento with a tour showcasing an array of possible marketing outlets.
The first stop on the tour was a large scale retailer – Raley’s at their Elk Grove location. Director of Produce, Greg Corrigan, discussed the details of buying from small farmers, including Raley’s 50-mile local produce program and the overall process of connecting and working with the store. As the tour entered into the backend of the produce section, Corrigan showed attendees a large bin of over ripe produce which would later be fed to a digester. Corrigan stressed Raley’s commitment to reducing food waste, describing the process of donating to food banks and the chain’s efforts to market imperfect produce in some stores.

The second stop brought attendees to the central kitchen at Natomas Unified School District. There, the school’s food service director, Vince Caguin, discussed how to successfully sell produce to schools as a small farmer, and explained the daily work the central kitchen performs. Caguin also passionately talked about his commitment to connecting students to the farms where their produce is grown, often taking students on area farm tours. Attendees were treated to a lunch cooked by the school kitchen staff, featuring many of the fresh fruits and vegetables served in his meal program, including fresh salad greens and local potatoes.

The final stop on the tour brought attendees to the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services warehouse facility. Erik Kintzel, Director of Food Bank Services, walked tour attendees through the cavernous space and discussed the benefits of donating produce and its impact on curbing food waste. “The tour was super informative and enjoyable! It’s great to see how farmers, retailers, schools, and consumers can work together to decrease food waste and make a positive impact on our community and environment.” remarked Tracy Wu, a farm tour attendee

The day sparked conversation on more traditional, direct marketing avenues for small scale farmers, as well as less conventional ways to connect others with their produce through community engagement and enrichment. The Office of Farm to Fork is committed to providing fresh local produce to all Californians and hopes to continue similar farm tours to increase exposure to agriculture.

– Farm to Fork Staff

This article is part of a series, chronicling the Office of Farm to Fork Specialty Crop Farm Tours held in Northern, Central, and Southern California. The tours aimed to expose farmers, community stakeholders, educators, and students to local specialty crop farms and their products.

Even in the agriculturally rich San Joaquin Valley, food insecurity remains a pressing issue for many residents. Along with the CDFA organized Central Valley Food Access Working Group, the Office of Farm to Fork led a local tour of businesses and institutions working to reduce food insecurity and increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

The day commenced in Reedley, California with a tour of Keystone Fruit, a packing shed owned and operated by Randy Asadoor. The company purchases produce seconds (items that are too ripe to sell through traditional markets or are cosmetically defective) from larger facilities and then sorts into multiple streams to sell as cattle feed, processing fruit, or to donate to food banks through the organization Feeding America. Jaclyn Pack, a representative from the Fresno Community Food Bank, a Feeding America member, joined the group to discuss how their organization works as a team with Keystone Fruit to move products quickly.

During the tour, attendees sampled delicious Cara Cara oranges with a small cosmetic flaw that would traditionally be disked back into fields or fed directly to livestock. The experience showed attendees first-hand a working example of food innovation, not only creating a new path for perfectly good produce but also creating jobs, reducing food waste, and providing nutrient rich fruit to people in need.

Attendees also visited the Fresno Unified School District central kitchen, which prepares over 16 million meals a year, including breakfast, lunch, snack, and summer meals. Currently over 80 percent of Fresno Unified students qualify for free or reduced price meals. Attendees toured the facility with Jose Alvarado, the district’s Food Services Director, witnessing thousands of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables being packed for students and shipped out to 104 sites throughout Fresno. Jose showed attendees a box of fresh carrots, kiwi, and raisins to be served as snack later that day. The tour demonstrated to attendees the larger array of meals served through a school meal program. People typically think of schools as only serving lunch each day but they often provide the vast majority of some children’s daily sustenance with 32,300 breakfast and snacks served daily and over 222,000 summer meals served each summer. School meals are also a great way to introduce fresh fruits and vegetables to students who would not otherwise have access to them.

Showing real life food access solutions is just a part of improving hunger issues. The Office of Farm to Fork is committed to improving food access issues in California. Resources and recommendations born out of the Central Valley Food Access Working Group will be available on the Office of Farm to Fork website. – Farm to Fork Staff

This article is part of a series, chronicling the Office of Farm to Fork Specialty Crop Farm Tours held in Northern, Central, and Southern California. The tours aimed to expose farmers, community stakeholders, educators, and students to local specialty crop farms and their products.

Despite Californians’ direct proximity to agriculture, many students have a strong disconnect to where their food comes from. A recent push has brought gardens into many schools but getting students to farms remains a challenge. To increase student exposure to where their food comes from the Office of Farm to Fork sponsored two pilot farm tours for San Diego Unified School District Career Technical Education Culinary Arts students. Over 60 high school students had the opportunity to visit a local farm, learn about the crops they grow, harvest some vegetables in the field, and cook a communal meal one morning at Wild Willow Farm and Educational Center outside San Diego.

Many of the students had never visited a farm and, living in the inner city, did not have the opportunity to grow their own fruits and vegetables. “I use to have a tomato plant but my new apartment doesn’t have a balcony,” remarked one student. Wild Willow is a mere fifteen minutes from downtown San Diego and within sight of the Mexican border and the ocean, but the majority of the students had never heard of it. The farm offers educational tours to expose visitors to small scale fruit and vegetable farming and the beauty of San Diego County.

The trip was led by Areli Perez, farm tour coordinator, along with a group of knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers, all of whom had graduated from the farm’s introduction to small-scaling farming course. Broken into small groups, the students learned about the seasonality of vegetables and the importance of pollinators and composting. One of the groups got down on their hands and knees and weeded along a row of chard and broccoli, learning about edible weeds such as the culinary uses of stinging nettle. Harvesting vegetables was another exciting moment for both groups of students. Two students were chosen to pick beets and learn about the effects of thinning on final size. The tours created a direct connection to the fruits and vegetables these students use in their culinary arts classes.

My experience at Wild Willow farm was enjoyable and hands-on. I thought it was unique in the sense that it was an educational center as well as a farm. In the culinary arts class I take at Scripps Ranch High School I’ve learned a lot about the importance of food and nutrition. By going on a field trip to a prosperous farm my knowledge of eating real/clean food was dramatically increased. I want to grow my own garden now, because I learned that homegrown food has a better taste than food from a local grocery store. I’ve been encouraged to purchase food from a local farm because it would feel much better to support a local business
– Juliette 11th grader

At the end of each tour the students prepared a meal – one day a salad of fresh lettuces, edible flowers, and apples and the next a stir fry of chard, kale, and beets. All of the ingredients were harvested by the students only minutes earlier. Time in the kitchen gave students an opportunity to show off their culinary skills and then kick back together to enjoy some fresh vegetables.

The Office of Farm to Fork hopes to continue exploring the benefit of exposing culinary arts students to fruit and vegetable farming to further the specialty crop industry in California and improve the next generation of consumers’ connection to the fruits and vegetables grown in our state.

-Farm to Fork Staff

This article is part of a series, chronicling the Office of Farm to Fork Specialty Crop Farm Tours held in Northern, Central, and Southern California. The tours aimed to expose farmers, community stakeholders, educators, and students to local specialty crop farms and their products.

The California Association of Food Banks’ Farm to Family program received a record 150 million pounds of donated produce in 2015 from farmers, ranchers, packers and shippers dedicated to helping their communities.

One in six adults and one in four children in California suffer from food insecurity. More than 150 farmers are committed to positively changing this situation by increasing the amount of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy and other farm products distributed by food banks.

Farm to Family takes excess or secondary products from fields and cold storage to a network of 43 member food banks throughout the state.

This video shows how the system works.

***Cross posted from CDFA Planting Seeds Blog***

The Office of Farm to Fork teamed up with culinary students from Natomas Unified School District to promote seasonal fruits and vegetables. The students prepared and served a kiwi citrus salsa to hundreds of Ag Day attendees. For more on Ag Day, visit the Planting Seeds blog

-Farm to Fork Staff

Schools across the United States purchased $789 million in local foods from farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and food processors and manufacturers in school year 2013 – 2014, according to results from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm to School Census released today. That represents a 105 percent increase over the 2011-2012 school year when the first census was conducted, signifying the deepening commitment of schools nationwide to bring local food into the cafeteria and strengthen their local economies.

Schools report that farm to school programs can increase the number of students purchasing school breakfast and lunch, improve consumption of healthier foods at school, and reduce plate waste. The programs are often also heavily focused on nutrition education, helping teach children where their food comes from and exposing them to lessons about healthy eating. The census data show that school gardens, which can be both teaching tools and a sources of fresh produce, have nearly tripled over the past two years.

In California 55 percent of school districts surveyed say they participate in farm-to-school activities. That number represents 373 school districts, nearly 5,500 schools and more than 3.4 million students. Nationally, 42 percent of school districts that responded to the census are operating farm to school programs as of the 2014-2015 school year, and another 16 percent – more than 2,000 districts – have plans to start in the future.

The newly updated Farm to School Census website allows users to find information about farm to school programs in their state and in their particular school or district. The site also names three top school districts in each state that boast higher than average investment in local food purchasing. In addition, users can vote for a school that they believe administers a creative, innovative, and/or exemplary farm to school program for the “One in a Melon” award. Nominations will be accepted through April 15.

In order to establish realistic goals with regard to increasing the availability of local foods in schools, USDA conducted the first nationwide Farm to School Census in 2013. USDA conducted a second Farm to School Census in 2015 to measure progress towards reaching this goal. In 2015, USDA surveyed over 18,000 public, private and charter school districts and 12,585 school districts responded for a response rate of approximately 70 percent. Data were collected through an online survey and through a printable mail-in questionnaire. To view the full results, visit https://farmtoschoolcensus.fns.usda.gov.

***Cross posted from CDFA Planting Seeds Blog***

Small-scale farmers, ranchers and farmers’ market managers from around the state are expected to fill the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Sacramento’s conference center for the 29th California Small Farm Conference running March 5 – 8, 2016, in Sacramento, CA. This three-day conference brings California’s small farming community together for unparalleled networking and educational opportunities. Registration is now open online, offering both full conference and one day registration tickets.

The Conference kicks off on Sunday with a full day of field courses taking attendees to various local farms and markets for hand-on education. 2016 field courses are: Conservation on the Farm Field, Direct Marketing: Farmers’ Markets, Farm Stands, U-Pick and Wine Tasting, Farmer Training/Farm Incubators, and Bringing the Small Farm to Human Diversity. New this year, the Conference is also offering an on-site training on Sunday about starting a successful specialty food business. Space is limited and pre-registration for the field courses are highly encouraged.

Monday morning begins with an inspiring and thoughtful keynote address from Mark Bittman, one of America’s beloved, best-known and most widely respected food writers. Bittman covered food policy as an Opinion columnist for The New York Times for 5 years and now devotes his time to cookbooks, teaching at UC Berkeley, and working on food movement strategy with the Union of Concerned Scientists. Following the keynote is a full day of workshops featuring topics from each thematic track: farm management, marketing, certified farmers’ markets, production and emerging issues.

Chef Patrick Mulvaney (Mulvaney’s), Chef Ed Roher (Magpie Café), Chef Chris Jarosz (Localis), Chef Shannon McElroy (Federalist Public House) and Chef Keith Breedlove (Culinerdy Cruiser) will be cooking up some amazing local fare at Monday evening’s Tasting Reception. The social highlight of the Conference, the Tasting Reception features tastes and sips of Sacramento’s finest chefs, artisans and producers. Tickets are available in advance for both attendees ($40) and the general public ($50) online.

Fitting for a Conference hosted in California’s Farm-to-Fork Capital, Tuesday morning begins with breakfast and a keynote panel led by Nicole Rogers, Director of Farm to Fork. She will be joined by a panel of local farm to fork experts discussing the movement and opportunities therein for small farmers and ranchers.

Attendees are encouraged to register in advance of the 2016 California Small Farm Conference to guarantee availability for both field courses and events, and to ensure minimal wait times on-site. Additional information, including hotel and workshop details, can be found at CASmallFarm.org. In fact, registering for the Conference is now easier and faster on the new website: CASmallFarm.org. The new website features a dynamic design making Conference information easier to find and more accessible to mobile devices.

Don’t miss the latest Conference updates and developments. Find California Small Farm Conference on Facebook and follow on Twitter with #2016SmallFarm.

Secretary Ross made two appearances at CDFA Headquarters and Gateway Oaks locations last week to promote the State Employees Food Drive. Employees who made monetary or canned food donations were treated to coffee and breakfast snacks served by the Secretary herself. The events showed office enthusiasm to support the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services but also an opportunity to pause and connect with Secretary Ross on the work of our various divisions. “We are all busy but it is great to see people taking a break to donate to the drive, share a cup of coffee, and a moment of conversation with the Secretary,” commented Elysia Fong from the Office of Farm to Fork.

Over 150 employees stopped by both days and monetary donations reached over $400. Support continues next Thursday, December 17th, when Secretary Ross returns to CDFA locations to judge the canned creations contest. Participating divisions will build sculptures out of canned foods, inviting friendly competition to garner more donations for those in need.The State Employees Food Drive continues until January 15, 2016. More details on the drive are available at http://www.fooddrive.ca.gov/.

– Office of Farm to Fork Team

By Shayne Zurilgen, Flyway Farm

I recently attended the open house event for Washington Unified School District’s CAFFE (Culinary Arts and Farm to Fork Education) Program in West Sacramento. Washington Unified has retrofitted the former site of Bryte Elementary School to house a full-on, state-of-the-art culinary instructional facility. Students from River City and Yolo High Schools attend elective classes there daily. It was so impressive. Students prepared a meal for parents and community members to purchase. I set up a booth to share information about honey production and bee keeping.

The parents and students in attendance were very curious about the mysterious lives of bees. Many people had no idea how honey was produced. The young girls seemed especially impressed with the matriarchal nature of bee society. I brought out my smoker and let kids pump the bellows and smell the scent of smoke still inside. Lots of folks wanted to try on the veil and imagine being covered in bees. The whole experience has inspired me to construct an observation hive so people can see bees at work.

In the booth next to me was the River City High School (RCHS) Farm to Fork Class. I was invited to visit their garden at the school later that week. On a Friday morning I headed out and saw the results of these students’ hard work. What a beautiful place! They told me all they knew about growing fruits and vegetables and we discussed ways that bees might be incorporated into their operation.

It was a great experience and a great opportunity to educate the public on the production of honey. It is really inspiring to see the commitment to Farm to Fork education in the area.

***This post is part of our series of “Tales from the Specialty Crop Ambassadors” – blog posts written by farmers working with the Center for Land-Based Learning in Winters, CA. The Specialty Crop Ambassadors are spearheading projects that support consumption, education, and access to California specialty crops.***

By Sue Sigler Executive Director, California Association of Food Banks

California is a bountiful state full of some of the most generous and productive land, as well as people. Farmers care deeply about their local communities and many of them contribute to food banks through California Association of Food Banks’ Farm to Family Program. This December is Farm to Food Bank Month and I want to thank the farmers who have so generously donated more than 150 million pounds of fresh, California-grown fruits, vegetables, nuts, dairy and other farm products in 2015.

For those unfamiliar with the program, Farm to Family works with growers, packers and processors to get nutritious farm products distributed to families in need of a little help. We handle all logistics and can work quickly to get surplus or secondary products into a truck that distributes food first to local food banks and then beyond. Farm to Family works with each donor to make sure the program seamlessly fits within existing operations to make participation easy and hassle-free.

Not too long ago, the bulk of products distributed through food pantries were dry goods and other shelf-stable foods. Since then food banks have invested in infrastructure such as cold storage facilities that can house fresh fruits and vegetables, which, believe it or not, are luxury items for many families struggling to make ends meet. With 43 member food banks in our association, needy families throughout the state may gather around their tables and enjoy food they would not be able to afford at the grocery store.

We know it takes a lot for farmers to get product from the field to the marketplace. If outright donations aren’t possible, Farm to Family can work with farmers to offer a small reimbursement to help cover picking and pack out costs. Additionally, many Farm to Family participants can also claim a state tax credit and federal tax deduction.

We’re grateful to the farmers who make California the best food producing state in the nation, and especially those who choose to give back to their community through the Farm to Family program. Please consider making a donation or pledging a contribution from the next harvest season. Contact Steve Linkhart at stevelinkhart@cafoodbanks.org or 510-350-9916.

***Cross-posted from CDFA Planting Seeds***