Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Child Nutrition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Food service director reports expanded summer meals signups and return of Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
Summary
Jamestown food‑service staff told the board about roughly 180 children already signed up for the summer meals program (up from last year) and said the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program will return next school year; staff flagged food/labor costs and staffing shortages as ongoing challenges.
Food‑service staff updated the board on summer meals, nutrition programs and staffing.
Cindy (food‑service lead) said about 180 children have already signed up for the district’s summer meals program this year, an increase from the same point last year; locations will include Roosevelt, Washington, Lincoln and Louis L'Amour. She reported the district served more than 20,000 meals last summer (breakfast and lunch), and Jackie Russell will again lead the program.
Cindy also said the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) will return to the schools next year and staff plan to increase scratch cooking, reduce added sugars at breakfast, and offer more plant‑based and culturally inclusive options. Lake staff and volunteers from the community garden (Jackie Russell and Lori Podol named) will supply produce for fruit‑and‑veggie bars. The district said North Dakota’s expansion of free and reduced price meal eligibility to the 200 percent poverty level and compliance with the state’s anti‑lunch‑shaming policy continue to shape program operations.
Challenges noted included food and labor costs and sufficient staffing to expand scratch cooking. Cindy said the district has earned state and national recognition in recent years and noted staff plan to travel to Las Vegas in October for national awards.
