San Luis Coastal Unified School District celebrates receiving awards for new school lunch program

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The Food and Nutrition Services Department at the San Luis Coastal Unified School District is being recognized for its achievements in the Farm to School Program, which uses fresh food from local farmers for school lunches.

The motto of the program is "excellence starts with good ingredients,” and the department obtains these ingredients from the abundant agriculture that SLO County has to offer. It has created a program that sources local and fresh ingredients to create and serve nutritiously rich meals to all students across the district.

The Farm to School Program also encourages children to buy food from local farmers and then teaches them about the nutritional value and how to cook it.

The California School Board Association hands out its Golden Bell Award to outstanding school board programs statewide and the National School Board Association Magna Award is granted for
innovation and creativity in facilitating student achievement and success.

Both of these awards were given to the San Louis Coastal Unified School District's Food and Nutrition Services Department not only for reinventing the "school meal wheel," but also for opening students' eyes to the value of good nutrition and the importance of supporting local farmers.

The Farm to School Program has revolutionized the nutrition potential of school lunches and the power of community involvement on an agricultural level, district officials said.