Benicia Unified School District (BUSD) in Solano County is utilizing $200,000 in CDFA Farm to School Incubator Grant Program funding to provide students with nutritious and delicious meals by incorporating more scratch cooking, minimizing processed foods and developing recipes utilizing ingredients from local farms. The project includes hands-on educational activities for students, including gardening, taste tests, field trips to farms and cooking demonstrations.
“The CDFA Farm to School Incubator Grant has allowed us to expand our efforts in bringing fresh, locally grown foods into our schools while creating meaningful opportunities for students to learn about nutrition and agriculture,” said Gesley-Marie Prado, BUSD Nutrition Manager. “One of the most rewarding experiences has been seeing students excited to try new foods and become more engaged in what they eat. None of this would be possible without the dedication and teamwork of our Food and Nutrition Services staff, who bring these initiatives to life every day. Together, we are building a stronger, more sustainable farm to school program for our students and community.”
Through CDFA grant funding, BUSD developed scratch-cooked recipes that highlight seasonal local ingredients, including three sisters stew, butternut chicken chili, scratch-made marinara, pork torta sandwich, house-made pickled jalapenos and carrots, fresh Brussels sprouts and zucchini, local farm-fresh eggs in breakfast burritos and fried rice, farm-raised beef in carne asada and homemade refried beans.
Among BUSD’s hands-on nutritional education events is Harvest of the Month, for which a seasonal fruit or vegetable is featured in a scratch-made recipe. Each event includes educational materials such as posters, informational flyers and recipe cards for students to take home and share with their families.
Additional hands-on educational events included on-campus farmers’ markets and International Passport Week, for which BUSD created recipes to feature countries and their cultures. Menu items included Filipino chicken adobo, Estonian potato salad, Fijian chicken curry and Rwandan Igisafuliya chicken stew.
BUSD gathers student feedback through surveys, conversations and involving student leadership in nutrition education events. This has been extremely helpful in guiding menu development and the adoption of new foods.
“We have found that students are more receptive to trying new foods when they know their opinions are valued and incorporated into future menus,” Prado said. “Their feedback has played an important role in improving the overall school meal experience while encouraging greater participation in our farm to school initiatives.”
October is National Farm to School Month! Join us and thousands of schools, early care and education sites, farms, communities and organizations across the country as we celebrate food education, school gardens and lunch trays filled with healthy, local ingredients.