THE FARMERS MARKET SALAD BAR PROGRAM

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1 THE FARMERS MARKET SALAD BAR PROGRAM A FARM-TO-SCHOOL INITIATIVE Rodney K. Taylor, Director Nutrition Services Riverside Unified School District

2 Riverside Unified School District is California s 15 th largest school district Enrollment of 44,000 students 47 school sites 31 Elementary, 7 Middle, 7 High Schools, 1 Continuation, 1 Adult Average Daily Participation (ADP) 32,000 meals served 60% of students eligible for free/reduced price meals, coming from at-risk families

3 1997 Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Robert Gottlieb, Professor at Occidental College, and the Director of the Urban Environmental Policy Institute Two-week trial with Childcare Development Department California Nutrition Network Grant Pilot Program McKinley Elementary School

4 Improve children s health by encouraging the consumption of nutritious foods Provide students with access to fresh fruits and vegetables on a daily basis Teach students to become life-long healthy eaters Provide an untapped market for the small farmer

5 District purchases fruits and vegetables directly from local farmers Orders are placed a week in advance and produce is delivered to Central Kitchen Produce is prepared at Central Kitchen and delivered to schools to be served at lunch Complementary classroom activities support the goals and round out program

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8 Staff Farmers Market Salad Bar Salad Bar Coordinator Area Managers Food Service Staff per School Educational Components Program Educator

9 Training Farmers Market Salad Bar Nutrition Services staff are trained in three ways: 1. Kitchen Operators spend time at another school that has a salad bar to learn the system 2. The Salad Bar Coordinator teaches staff the salad bar system and provides monthly salad bar inservices 3. Taste Test day Materials Farmers Market Salad Bar The cost for all salad bar equipment is $6,777 (according to 2009 prices).

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11 How It Works Farm to School programs are a unique way to forge a partnership among the school, the community, and the farmers who produce the food. Getting Started Plan/arrange for start-up funding Schools should look beyond the traditional sources for grant funding Develop a working relationship with the school s business manager/purchasing director. Locate the nearest farmers market and visit the market. Set up a meeting with the farmers market manager.

12 Go to the farmers market early, before it opens to customers, to talk to farmers. Establish a Salad Bar Coordinator position. Establish pick up, sorting and delivery procedures for produce.

13 Operating the Salad Bar Design the menu Consider the following questions: Will this be a lunch option that will serve as a reimbursable meal? Will it be used only as the fruit and vegetable component of the hot lunch? Will it be offered every day? Will the hot lunch dessert also be served at the salad bar? How will variety be incorporated into the salad bar? What are the nutritional requirements for the option selected?

14 FARMERS MARKET SALAD BAR CYCLE MENU 2010/2011 MONDAY Meat/Meat Alternate (select 3) Cheese shredded or diced Ham diced Boiled eggs cut in 4ths Peanut butter TUESDAY Meat/Meat Alternate (select 3) Tuna salad Ham diced Peanut butter Fajita, chicken strips WEDNESDAY Meat/Meat Alternate (select 3) Cheese shredded or diced Fajita, chicken strips Peanut butter Cottage cheese Vegetables (select 5) Lettuce mix* Carrots peeled & sliced in sticks Celery sliced in sticks Broccoli bite size Tomatoes Seasonal veggies Vegetables (select 5) Lettuce mix* Carrots peeled & sliced in sticks Celery sliced in sticks Cauliflower bite size Tomatoes Seasonal veggies Vegetables (select 5) Lettuce mix* Carrots peeled & sliced Celery sliced in sticks Broccoli bite size Tomatoes Seasonal veggies Fruits (select 5) Trail mix Apple sliced Orange - wedges Strawberries - sliced Tangerines Seasonal fruit Mellon Fruits (select 5) Trail mix Apple sliced wedges Strawberries sliced Grapes Seasonal fruit Melon Fruits (select 5) Trail mix Apple sliced Orange - wedges Tangerines Kiwi Seasonal fruit Bread (select 3) Dinner rolls Croutons* Crackers* Pasta * To be used daily: Secondary side Bread (select 3) Dinner rolls Croutons* Crackers* Pasta Bread (select 3) Dinner rolls Croutons* Crackers* Pasta

15 Salad Bar Specials Soup Bar Build a Better Burger Build a Bowl of Chili Stuff a Submarine Chicken Noodle Soup Burgers Bowl of Chili Small sour dough roll Crackers (Saltine) Buns Beef Crumble Sliced red onions Gold fish crackers Sliced Onion Chopped onion/red Sliced tomatoes Sliced Tomatoes Chopped bell peppers Sliced green peppers Pickles, chips Shredded cheese Sliced cheese Sliced green Peppers Chopped tomatoes Sliced pickles Lettuce Taco chips/fritos or corn Banana peppers Cheese slices Corn/canned Sliced cucumbers Sliced Cucumbers Jalapeños/ canned Coleslaw 1000's dressing Sliced mushrooms Shredded cheese Avocado Cilantro Turkey Chili Sour cream Pepperoni Black olives Guacamole Baked Potato Bar Nacho Bar Pasta Salad Bar Top a Taco salad Bar Baked potatoes Tortilla Pasta Filled taco shells Taco meat Jalapeños canned) Lettuce Beef crumble Nacho cheese Cilantro Tomatoes Refried beans Chopped onions Green onion Sliced carrots Sour cream Shredded cheese Cherry tomatoes Chopped onions Salsa Kidney beans Kidney beans Peas Chopped tomatoes Tomatoes Corn Shredded cheese Black olives Sour cream Lettuce Broccoli Jalapenos Broccoli Carrots Cauliflower Sliced mushrooms Jalapenos Cucumber Sliced zucchini Shredded cheese Butter Jicama Sliced pepperoni Cilantro Salsa Sliced black olives Guacamole Black olives Tuna Chopped onions Taco meat Italian dressing Shred cheese Nacho cheese Sour cream Ham

16 Begin a marketing campaign. Provide in-service training for cafeteria staff. Plan and hold a Grand Opening. Educating students Harvest of the Month School gardens Farmer visits, chef visits, farm field trips, and farmers market field trips Cooking carts

17 FARMERS MARKET IS NOT JUST A SALAD; IT S A PROGRAM FARM TOURS POSTER CONTESTS GARDEN PROJECTS SALAD BAR FEATURE DAYS FARMERS MARKET TOURS CLASSROOM COOKING CARTS TEACHERS 2-1 COUPONS ISSUED MONTHLY NUTRITION FOOD ITEMS AVAILABLE FOR COOKING LESSONS

18 Gain support of the administration, school board, nutrition services staff, teachers, parents, and students. Work with farmers who are interested and excited to be selling to schools. Promote the salad bar to everyone (principals, teachers, students, parents, school food service staff, etc.). Be flexible. Ensure the program is revenue-neutral.

19 Acquiring start-up funds Bureaucratic policies and procedures that are inflexible Resistance to change Lack of creative thinking when it comes to addressing the obesity/overweight problem Labor intensive Up front cost for equipment and labor

20 Purchasing / Bid Process Invoicing / Payments Staffing / Volunteers Delivery Systems

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29 Provides access to fresh fruits and vegetables on a daily basis successfully modifies student s eating habits Links Cafeteria/Classroom/Garden program and provides nutrition education & outdoor laboratory Lowers food cost, reduces waste Increases participation, increases revenue Changes in perception of food service program Nutrition Program plays a significant role in augmenting the educational processes in a school district

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31 REACH 29 elementary schools and 24,077 students EFFECTIVENESS Provides greater access to fresh fruits and vegetables Increases fruit and vegetable consumption among those children who choose the salad bar Does not decrease revenue per child nor productivity of nutrition services staff Provides market for local farmers

32 ADOPTION 29 elementary schools have adopted the program and an average of 26% of students choose the salad bar on a given day. IMPLEMENTATION Positive responses from students, nutrition services staff, teachers, and farmers MAINTENANCE Program sustained since 2005 Program has resulted in positive relationships between nutrition services and students, teachers, and administrators.

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37 176 days served total of 565,134 student meals purchased

38 Total adults meals served: 3,710 (06-07) ; 7,640 (07-08)

39 Students have access to fresh fruits and vegetables on a daily basis The Nutrition Services Department has a healthy bottom-line while promoting life-long healthy eating habits The small local farmer has an untapped market to sell their products FMSB serves as a replicable international model

40 school year Fresh fruit only Frozen or canned fruit will no longer be used for salad bar or hot bar meals Salad bar first In a minimum of 3 schools, students will be required go through the salad bar first to get their entire meal or sides Shifting the center of the plate away from the entrée

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