By Kathy Chouteau
The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) and Conscious Kitchen on Friday launched the “Organic Strawberry Campaign,” a statewide school food challenge celebrating local, organic strawberries.
The lunchtime event challenged California’s 1000-plus school districts to serve strawberries to the six million California students, as well as purchase more organic, farm fresh meals for their nutrition programs going forward.
The event took place in the Multipurpose Room at Peres K-8 School in Richmond, where numerous students who had decorated the environs noshed on an all-organic lunch of pizza, salad and fresh strawberries.
On what was “Vitamin C Day,” Kim Frinzell, director of Nutrition Services for the California Department of Education, underscored the importance of Vitamin C and organic foods in school nutrition programs, noting that strawberries pack 42 milligrams of the vitamin per half cup.
After asking students to guess at the number (3,000, 1 million), Frinzell shared that California schools together serve approximately 927 million total meals annually. She thanked Conscious Kitchen and California’s farmers for leading the way and showing how we can truly transform the state’s school health programs.
“This initiative is about more than just strawberries,” said Barbara Jellison, executive director of Nutrition Services at the WCCUSD. “As the first fruit of the season, strawberries offer a perfect entry point propelling schools to purchase more local organic produce. This not only benefits children’s health, but also supports local farmers and strengthens our communities.”
Conscious Kitchen is partnering with the WCCUSD on the initiative and Founder Judi Shils echoed Jellison’s sentiments, stating that, as California’s school districts are purchasing local, organic strawberries, they take a critical step toward a future where every child has access to nourishing school meals that support their growth and success.
WCCUSD Interim Superintendent Kim Moses alluded to the gathering that day being so much more than just an event. She said it represented a movement to transform how we nourish the students in our schools and said the campaign is a symbol of [the district’s] continued commitment to student well-being, to equity and to sustainability.
“Today’s a call to action,” said Moses. “I encourage school districts across California to join us in these efforts.”
