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Fresh from California: Menu Planning Support Session #1

Fresh from California: Menu Planning Support Session #1

About this Series

Looking for new ideas for your menus? Over the course of Spring 2022, the Center for Ecoliteracy hosted monthly menu planning support sessions in partnership with LunchAssist for our Fresh from California campaign. These informal group discussions were designed to support school nutrition professionals in plant-forward menu planning. Agendas were centered around local procurement, freshly prepared meals, menu/recipe considerations, navigating special diets, and much more to incorporate fresh fruits, vegetables, and legumes into school menus. Each session is intended for California school nutrition directors and school district menu planners.

About this Session

Designed to support school nutrition professionals in plant-forward menu planning, this session highlights recipes that incorporate international flavors and culturally diverse cuisines along with inspiration for National Nutrition Month celebrations.

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    Slides: Session #1 - Culturally Diverse Cuisines

    Menu Planning Support Session 1 Slides

    Download the Fresh from California: Menu Planning Support Session #1 slides.

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    Chat: Session #1 - Culturally Diverse Cuisines

    Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
    Welcome! Please introduce yourself by typing your name, position, and where you work into the chat box. What are you looking forward to this spring in your program or at your district?

    Stacy Johnson:
    Hi, Stacy Johnson

    Sally Spero:
    Sally Spero from LunchAssist

    Karen Brown | Center for Ecoliteracy:
    Good morning! I am Karen Brown, creative director of the Center for Ecoliteracy.

    Eric Span:
    Eric Span

    Trish Baugus:
    Trish Baugus, Calaveras USD

    Laurel Goins:
    Laurel Goins Lucia Mar Unified. We are getting back to salad bars! We have ordered all new ones and they should be here in May

    Ben/ CEH (he, him):
    Ben Schleifer from Center for Environmental Health---Waste Audits!

    Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
    Tahoe Truckee Unified School District

    Stacy Johnson:
    Excited at Glendora USD to reopen our salads!

    Pilar Gray:
    Looking forward to the spring harvest in the school farm.  We have a new farmer and she's been BUSY!

    June Richardson:
    June Richardson - Ravenswood City SD East Palo Alto

    Zetta Reicker:
    Good morning! Zetta Reicker from San Ramon Valley USD, looking forward to more salad bar variety too!

    Gelene Coelho:
    Gelene Coelho Shandon Joint Unified School Dostrict

    Kristin Hilleman:
    Good Morning from Capistrano USD. Looking forward to planning menus for school year. Kristin Hilleman

    Jen Dalton:
    Hi Jen Dalton, Comms and Policy Support at Center for Ecoliteracy. I’m in Mendocino County, Ukiah, excited to hear from my neighbor Pilar!

    Eric Span:
    Director Nutrition Services SUHSD. Looking forward to getting back to scratch cooking.

    ZENOBIA BARLOW:
    Good morning everyone, I’m pleased to join this morning. I’m Zenobia Barlow, the Interim Executive Director at the Center for Ecoliteracy.

    Dylan Hatami:
    Dylan Hatami, West Contra Costa USD.  We're looking forward to all the spring fresh fruits and vegetables

    Stephanie Bruce:
    Same here ERic!!  Stephanie Bruce, SR. Executive Director, Nutrition Services, Oakland USD

    Eric Span:
    What's up Stephanie !!! :)

    Rosa Rubio:
    Rosa Rubio, Calistoga Joint Unified School District

    Tania Courtney:
    Tania Courtney - Benicia USD

    Stephanie Bruce:
    Loving my start to my day to be here in support of you Pilar and Kat!  3 amazing Child Nutrition Heroes

    Stephanie Bruce:
    Rosa!!!  Calistoga, my happy place!!!!!

    Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
    Thanks Stephanie, likewise to Kristin and you!!

    Liz Carlton | Center for Ecoliteracy (she/her):
    National Nutrition Month Resources: [link]

    Liz Carlton | Center for Ecoliteracy (she/her):
    How is your district celebrating National Nutrition Month? Feel free to share!

    Eric Span:
    Absolutely !!!!

    Stephanie Bruce:
    I am going to date myself, but feel like the Romper room days.  looking through my mirror at all the amazing people out there!  I see Kristen, and Vince, and Stacy, and Kat, and Eric, and Crystal, and...…..

    Alexa Norstad:
    Aw, Stephanie! ?

    Eric Span:
    That's a blast from the past !!!

    Eric Span:
    Snow is so nice to see on a photograph lol

    Laurel Goins:
    yeah Lauren! Welcome ?

    Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
    Yes! We miss it tremendously... only 1 major storm this year with 18 feet of snow at once.

    Liz Carlton | Center for Ecoliteracy (she/her):
    USA Pulses Harissa Red Lentil Hummus Recipe: [link]

    Stephanie Bruce:
    Suzy is AMAZING!  And a great lover of animals.

    Eric Span:
    Love the lettuce wall

    Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
    Yum!!!

    Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
    So amazing to have all these fabulous people joining!  Welcome!

    Michael Jochner | MHUSD:
    Yes!  Sushi.... I'm in.

    Liz Carlton | Center for Ecoliteracy (she/her):
    Pop-up sushi sounds so fun!

    Michael Jochner | MHUSD:
    Sushi for our high schools, that is.

    Ben/ CEH (he, him):
    Thanks Eric!

    Zetta Reicker:
    Really great work! Well done

    Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
    I love all the special attention to listening and responding to your staff.  Great work!

    Sally Spero:
    Good for you, Eric.  I hope you had fun and had someone listen to YOU!

    Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
    Eric you elevate your team well, thank you for sharing!!!

    Stephanie Bruce:
    So thoughtful and inspiring Eric!!

    Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
    Thank you Pilar! Love food hubs!

    Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
    So helpful to see how to make local purchasing more accessible even when there’s not a lot of options in your county. Thanks, Pilar!

    Karen Brown | Center for Ecoliteracy:
    Question for Pilar on micropurchasing: is the $50,000 limit per farm or per order? In other words, can you order $50,000 multiple times from the same farm or only once per year per farm?

    Sally Spero:
    My understanding is that the $50,000 refers to products, not to vendors.  So if you are going to spend $100,000 on local citrus you can't use multiple farmers using micropurchasing.

    Liz Carlton | Center for Ecoliteracy (she/her):
    Yay Sierra Harvest!

    Stephanie Bruce:
    the amount is an aggregate value and you can not go over $50,000 per farmer.  I would check with your CNC because I have learned there is not always consistent thoughts on using Micro Purchases for crops.

    Sally Spero:
    Excellent advice, Stephanie.

    Eric Span:
    Sally, couldn't you use a opportunity bid for the citrus which would allow you to use multiple vendors?

    Sally Spero:
    I think that is a district interpretation of "perishable."

    Eric Span:
    Awesome job Kat !!!

    Liz Carlton | Center for Ecoliteracy (she/her):
    [link]

    Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
    Amazing job fostering partnerships and advocating for your program, Kat!  It’s incredible to see what’s possible with so many community connections.

    Dylan Hatami:
    Thank you!  I learned a lot of information I didn't know from the fun quiz!

    Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
    Its me :-)

    Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
    hahaha

    Nancy Rostomily:
    Rostomily, Nancy

    Janelle Manzano:
    I was the crab!

    Jen Dalton:
    No Nancy Rostomily is Mily!

    Janelle Manzano:
    Darn haha :) Congrats ya'll!

    Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
    How are you keeping Farm to School activities going? How is your staff doing right now? How are you keeping staff morale up? What kinds of community partnerships do you have in your district? What have been successes and challenges in those community partnerships? Are you involved in school food policy advocacy?

    Eric Span:
    The artichokes tripped me up lol

    Jen Dalton:
    Eric, what’s a fair stipend in your mind?

    Liz Carlton | Center for Ecoliteracy (she/her):
    $200 - $300 per month - from Eric!

    Zetta Reicker:
    preach

    Rebecca Ward:
    YES!!!

    Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
    YES ERIC! Thank you Center for Ecoliteracy!

    Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
    Thank you everyone I have to head to another meeting- about pay!

    Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
    Join the California Food for California Kids Network: [link]

    Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
    Learn more about the Fresh from California Campaign: [link]

    Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
    Register for Menu Planning Support Sessions: [link]

    Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
    April 20th

    Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
    National Farm to School Network USDA LAMP Application Resources: [link]

    Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
    National Farm to School Network USDA LAMP Application Technical Assistance: [link]

    Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
    Wallace Center USDA LAMP Application Resources: [link]

    Stacy Johnson:
    Thank you! Really beneficial and I enjoyed it thoroughly!

    Michael Jochner | MHUSD:
    Thank you All!  CEL rocks!

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