Tony Thurmond, State Superintendent of Public Instruction | www.cde.ca.gov/
On February 24, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond led a webinar to advance the "Mission Possible: Go Organic" initiative. This effort aims to increase the use of organic food in school meals across California. The initiative began in June 2024 with Conscious Kitchen as a partner, encouraging local educational agencies (LEAs) to commit to introducing more organic ingredients gradually.
During the webinar, nutrition services directors from Capistrano Unified School District and West Contra Costa Unified School District shared their experiences. West Contra Costa Unified has reached 60 percent organic ingredients in its meals, serving over 25,000 students. Janet Nagamine from Hikari Farms discussed her farm's role in providing schools with organic produce as a preventive measure against childhood obesity and diabetes.
Superintendent Thurmond emphasized the importance of LEAs taking achievable steps towards incorporating organic foods into school meals. This approach is intended to ensure students have access to healthy and sustainable food options.
A recap of the webinar can be found on the CDE Facebook page. Media inquiries can be directed to communications@cde.ca.gov or Liz Sanders at 916-268-2081.
Information from this article can be found here.
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