Everett schools expand 'farm to school' purchases, summer supper and internships; department reports 2.5M meals served last year

Adam Pastra, director of Food and Nutrition Services, briefed the board on Jan. 28 about expanded local purchasing, year‑round meal service and student internship partnerships.

Pastra said the department served more than 2,500,000 meals to students last year and is on track to exceed that number in the current year. He described a Farm to School grant funded through the Washington State Department of Agriculture that covers a two‑year budget period; for the current grant cycle the district received about $197,000. About one quarter of those funds are allocated to kitchen equipment (salad bars and steamers) with the larger portion used to purchase local foods—meat, dairy, tortillas and produce—so the district can feature regional products on school menus.

The presentation noted seasonal challenges with sourcing local produce year‑round but explained efforts to rotate apples, pears and other regionally available items through winter months and to bring stone fruit and strawberries back later in the year. Pastra described sourcing local tortillas from a Bellingham producer and said the department prioritizes partnerships with farms and producers from underrepresented communities when possible.

Pastra also described expansion of the at‑risk supper program: four school sites (Cascade and Everett high schools, Evergreen and North middle schools) offer a full third meal to students who remain for after‑school activities; the district reported that in some sites the supper program serves up to about 130 students per day. The program is open to all students at participating sites; no family application is required.

Food and Nutrition staff also partner with the district’s GOAL (Gaining Ownership over Adult Life) transitional program to provide internships and on‑site job skill training in school kitchens. Pastra said GOAL students learn food safety, recipe reading, sanitation and customer service, and sometimes practice cooking with raw ingredients off-site under supervision.

Board members praised the program and asked about summer meal-site selection and supply-chain disruptions. Pastra said summer sites are selected using census data (areas where at least 50% of enrolled students qualify for free or reduced-price meals) and by working with community partners such as Everett Public Library, Everett Parks and Recreation, and local nonprofits. He said supply disruptions have decreased since peak pandemic years but that recalls and regional crop impacts still occasionally affect menus.

Pastra emphasized the department’s role in student well‑being and academic readiness: “for many of our students, their learning truly begins in the cafeteria,” he said, and added that the kitchens serve as “community builders” and “equity champions.”