Foothills Fresh, the collaboration to bring farm-fresh scratch-cooked school meals to all students in Western Nevada County, recently received a $488,000 California Farm to School Incubator Grant award, according to a press release.
The Nevada County School Food Services Agency, a partnership between eight school districts and the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools, was formed July 1, 2022 to support all students getting access to scratch-cooked meals using fresh, regional foods, the release states.
The funding from the California Department of Food and Agriculture was a competitive grant with only 37% of applicants receiving funding, the release states. It was designed to facilitate “innovative farm-to-school partnerships that benefit multiple school districts, a county office of education, and non-profits in their mission to provide nutrition education, fresh CA grown food in school meals and capacity building for scratch cooked culinary programs through long term partnerships,” the release stated.
The collaboration between Nevada County School Food Services Agency, Sierra Harvest, the Chef Ann Foundation, and Kitchen Table Advisors can now move forward with this funding to improve not only the quality of food on the plate but implement more sustainable and environmental systems reducing food waste and the use of plastic packaging, according to the release.
Aimee Retzler, Executive Director of Sierra Harvest, was thrilled to be a grantee and to be seen as a leader in the farm-to-school movement across California, the release stated.
“Western Nevada County schools have enjoyed a farm to-school program for 14 years where students have fallen in love with local, fresh fruits and vegetables, and many students have access to weekly garden lessons and trips to our educational Food Love Farm,” she stated in the release. “The missing link has been freshly prepared, scratch-cooked meals available to all students, not just those students who have kitchens in their schools. This funding allows the agency and its partners the opportunity to increase equity in their meal services by working together to build capacity and financial stability through innovation”.
