Fort Bragg Unified School District (FBUSD) in Mendocino County offers a farm to school model of success by connecting local food procurement, scratch-cooked meals and hands-on food education to foster lifelong habits of good nutrition to its students.
Fort Bragg’s farm to school culture is built around school gardens, a school district farm, and middle and high school agriculture programs that provide students with opportunities for career exploration and growth.
With support from CDFA’s Farm to School Incubator Grant, FBUSD upgraded four school garden spaces and invested in equipment to improve the efficiency of processing produce grown at school for its cafeterias. The district also invested $30,000 (and counting) in local food procurement to purchase foods like apples, tomatoes and winter squash from local producers. CDFA grant funding also helped FBUSD hire a veteran garden teacher to provide coaching and mentorship to new educators, as well as deliver over 200 Harvest of the Month lessons featuring local farmers in which students gained a deeper understanding of food origins and community connections.
“[We’re] thrilled to have the opportunity to apply for and receive a CDFA Incubator Grant to address these critical needs and keep farm to school programs growing and thriving,” said FBUSD Director of Nutrition Services Pilar Gray. “Impact has been extraordinary!”
For more information about FBUSD’s farm to school program, contact Pilar Gray at pgray@fbusd.us. To learn more about CDFA’s statewide Farm to School Network, including subscribing to the newsletter and joining a monthly network call, visit the CDFA California Farm to School Program webpage or email cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov.