School Food Innovator Series: Lessons from the Field

00:20:55
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?

00:20:58
Stacy Johnson:
Hi, Stacy Johnson

00:21:08
Sally Spero:
Sally Spero from LunchAssist

00:21:10
Karen Brown | Center for Ecoliteracy:
Good morning! I am Karen Brown, creative director of the Center for Ecoliteracy.

00:21:11
Eric Span:
Eric Span

00:21:12
Trish Baugus:
Trish Baugus, Calaveras USD

00:21:21
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

00:21:24
Ben/ CEH (he, him):
Ben Schleifer from Center for Environmental Health---Waste Audits!

00:21:31
Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
Tahoe Truckee Unified School District

00:21:35
Stacy Johnson:
Excited at Glendora USD to reopen our salads!

00:21:37
Pilar Gray:
Looking forward to the spring harvest in the school farm.  We have a new farmer and she's been BUSY!

00:21:42
June Richardson:
June Richardson - Ravenswood City SD East Palo Alto

00:21:48
Zetta Reicker:
Good morning! Zetta Reicker from San Ramon Valley USD, looking forward to more salad bar variety too!

00:21:54
Gelene Coelho:
Gelene Coelho Shandon Joint Unified School Dostrict

00:21:58
Kristin Hilleman:
Good Morning from Capistrano USD. Looking forward to planning menus for school year. Kristin Hilleman

00:21:58
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!

00:22:01
Eric Span:
Director Nutrition Services SUHSD. Looking forward to getting back to scratch cooking.

00:22:13
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.

00:22:37
Dylan Hatami:
Dylan Hatami, West Contra Costa USD.  We're looking forward to all the spring fresh fruits and vegetables

00:22:39
Stephanie Bruce:
Same here ERic!!  Stephanie Bruce, SR. Executive Director, Nutrition Services, Oakland USD

00:23:10
Eric Span:
What's up Stephanie !!! :)

00:23:15
Rosa Rubio:
Rosa Rubio, Calistoga Joint Unified School District

00:24:41
Tania Courtney:
Tania Courtney - Benicia USD

00:25:05
Stephanie Bruce:
Loving my start to my day to be here in support of you Pilar and Kat!  3 amazing Child Nutrition Heroes

00:25:36
Stephanie Bruce:
Rosa!!!  Calistoga, my happy place!!!!!

00:25:42
Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
Thanks Stephanie, likewise to Kristin and you!!

00:26:30
Liz Carlton | Center for Ecoliteracy (she/her):
National Nutrition Month Resources: https://www.eatright.org/food/resources/national-nutrition-month

00:26:30
Liz Carlton | Center for Ecoliteracy (she/her):
How is your district celebrating National Nutrition Month? Feel free to share!

00:28:09
Eric Span:
Absolutely !!!!

00:29:17
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...…..

00:29:52
Alexa Norstad:
Aw, Stephanie! ?

00:29:56
Eric Span:
That's a blast from the past !!!

00:31:22
Eric Span:
Snow is so nice to see on a photograph lol

00:31:47
Laurel Goins:
yeah Lauren! Welcome ?

00:31:51
Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
Yes! We miss it tremendously... only 1 major storm this year with 18 feet of snow at once.

00:32:13
Liz Carlton | Center for Ecoliteracy (she/her):
USA Pulses Harissa Red Lentil Hummus Recipe: https://www.usapulses.org/resources/1313-harissa-red-lentil-hummus/file

00:35:30
Stephanie Bruce:
Suzy is AMAZING!  And a great lover of animals.

00:36:22
Eric Span:
Love the lettuce wall

00:37:16
Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
Yum!!!

00:38:45
Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
So amazing to have all these fabulous people joining!  Welcome!

00:46:51
Michael Jochner | MHUSD:
Yes!  Sushi.... I'm in.

00:46:54
Liz Carlton | Center for Ecoliteracy (she/her):
Pop-up sushi sounds so fun!

00:47:25
Michael Jochner | MHUSD:
Sushi for our high schools, that is.

00:48:49
Ben/ CEH (he, him):
Thanks Eric!

00:49:02
Zetta Reicker:
Really great work! Well done

00:49:16
Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
I love all the special attention to listening and responding to your staff.  Great work!

00:49:19
Sally Spero:
Good for you, Eric.  I hope you had fun and had someone listen to YOU!

00:49:32
Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
Eric you elevate your team well, thank you for sharing!!!

00:49:57
Stephanie Bruce:
So thoughtful and inspiring Eric!!

00:56:18
Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
Thank you Pilar! Love food hubs!

00:57:26
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!

00:58:11
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?

01:01:24
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.

01:02:16
Liz Carlton | Center for Ecoliteracy (she/her):
Yay Sierra Harvest!

01:05:15
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.

01:06:21
Sally Spero:
Excellent advice, Stephanie.

01:07:42
Eric Span:
Sally, couldn't you use a opportunity bid for the citrus which would allow you to use multiple vendors?

01:08:47
Sally Spero:
I think that is a district interpretation of "perishable."

01:09:52
Eric Span:
Awesome job Kat !!!

01:11:11
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.

01:15:56
Dylan Hatami:
Thank you!  I learned a lot of information I didn't know from the fun quiz!

01:16:03
Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
Its me :-)

01:16:08
Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
hahaha

01:16:21
Nancy Rostomily:
Rostomily, Nancy

01:16:42
Janelle Manzano:
I was the crab!

01:16:43
Jen Dalton:
No Nancy Rostomily is Mily!

01:16:55
Janelle Manzano:
Darn haha :) Congrats ya'll!

01:17:28
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?

01:17:35
Eric Span:
The artichokes tripped me up lol

01:31:38
Jen Dalton:
Eric, what’s a fair stipend in your mind?

01:32:35
Liz Carlton | Center for Ecoliteracy (she/her):
$200 - $300 per month - from Eric!

01:35:57
Zetta Reicker:
preach

01:36:12
Rebecca Ward:
YES!!!

01:36:37
Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
YES ERIC! Thank you Center for Ecoliteracy!

01:37:09
Kat Soltanmorad, RDN (she/her):
Thank you everyone I have to head to another meeting- about pay!

01:37:46
Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
Join the California Food for California Kids Network: https://www.californiafoodforcaliforniakids.org/network-membership

01:38:05
Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
Learn more about the Fresh from California Campaign: https://www.californiafoodforcaliforniakids.org/fresh-from-ca

01:38:43
Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
National Farm to School Network USDA LAMP Application Resources: https://www.farmtoschool.org/news-and-articles/grants-available-for-farm-to-institution-projects-under-lamp

01:38:43
Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
National Farm to School Network USDA LAMP Application Technical Assistance: https://docs.google.com/document/d/145zNQ4W-ZfI2HQpZo-g87uzmIU1xJqKc62kTtFvUZdw/edit?usp=sharing

01:38:43
Krysta Williams (she/her) | Center for Ecoliteracy:
Wallace Center USDA LAMP Application Resources: https://foodsystemsleadershipnetwork.org/9399-2/

01:39:04
Stacy Johnson:
Thank you! Really beneficial and I enjoyed it thoroughly!

01:39:52
Michael Jochner | MHUSD:
Thank you All!  CEL rocks!