Yakima School District expands farm‑to‑school efforts, Eat Real assessment and may reduce chocolate milk

The Yakima School Board received a detailed Child Nutrition report on March 18 outlining local sourcing plans, a USDA grant application, an Eat Real assessment and program changes tied to new sugar limits.

Why it matters: The district reported substantially higher meal participation this school year and is pursuing grants and partnerships to increase locally sourced food, reduce processed additives and align meals with higher nutrition standards that will take effect in the coming years.

Key points from the presentation

- Grants and partnerships: Cassie Davidson, Director of Child Nutrition, said Yakima is a partner in a multi‑district application for the USDA SCALES grant with Selah, West Valley, Ellensburg and a potential continuing partnership with Northwest Harvest. The grant would fund regional farm‑to‑school work, food ordering improvements and distribution; the award announcement was expected in April 2025 and the grant would run for two years if awarded.

- Eat Real assessment and timeline: The district has contracted with EatReal.org for a nutrition assessment in March; results are expected mid‑June. Eat Real uses standards above federal requirements; Davidson said full implementation will be phased over roughly 23–24 months and will include eliminating many undesirable additives and reducing added sugars.

- Chocolate milk and added‑sugar limits: Davidson said chocolate milk in current menus contains about 22 grams of added sugar, while new meal standards allow a maximum of 12 grams of added sugar per meal. She said the district is considering removing chocolate milk or limiting it to one day a week; parents will be notified through ParentSquare.

- Local sourcing, contracts and scratch cooking: The district has contracts or pilot arrangements with local and regional producers, including a local bakery (Viera Bakery) and Washington beef supplier Raised Meats. Davidson described plans to increase scratch cooking and reduce processed items; elementary menus were planned to meet Eat Real criteria for the coming fall.

- Participation and award: Davidson said breakfast and lunch counts are up compared with the previous year — lunches were up by about 20,000 and breakfasts up by nearly 28,000 compared with last year (district data presented in the slide deck). The United Way of King County presented the district with a Closing the Hunger Gap award and a $5,000 prize for its breakfast‑after‑the‑bell program.

- Innovation: Davidson also described a longer‑term interest in a vertical freight‑farm unit (a shipping‑container style vertical farm). She said a quoted price for a fully equipped factory‑style unit was about $225,000 and that the district is pursuing grants and partnerships to pilot at least one unit for CTE and school use.

Board and partner remarks

Sarah Seilmeier of United Way of King County praised the district’s breakfast after the bell model and recognized Cassie Davidson and Superintendent Doctor Green for leadership in removing barriers to student breakfast access. Finance staff said they did not currently expect federal meal funding cuts to affect the district given its high free/reduced percentage and continued use of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).

Clarifying details

- USDA SCALES grant: application with multiple districts; award expected April 2025; two‑year grant if awarded (Cassie Davidson) - Eat Real assessment results due: mid‑June 2025 (Cassie Davidson) - Chocolate milk added sugar: ~22 grams (current product) vs. 12‑gram added sugar limit per meal in upcoming rules (Cassie Davidson) - Freight farm cost estimate: about $225,000 for a fully set up unit (Cassie Davidson) - United Way Closing the Hunger Gap award: $5,000 (presented by United Way) - Meal participation change (district slides): lunches up ~20,000 year‑over‑year; breakfasts up ~28,000 year‑over‑year (district data)

Next steps: The district plans to: proceed with the Eat Real assessment and report results in June; continue pursuing the USDA grant and other grants for local sourcing and potential vertical farm pilots; and communicate menu changes (including any chocolate milk policy) to families in advance of the fall.

Ending: The board thanked Child Nutrition and United Way for the report and the award; no formal board action was taken at the March 18 meeting.