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Nutrition director reports jump in meals; launches preschool 'Harvest of the Month' pilot
Summary
Danielle Johnson told the Weaver Union School District board that total meal service rose from 644,000 to 665,000 year over year and described a new 'Harvest of the Month' pilot in preschool/TK that supplies classroom kits, tasting activities and parent workshops to promote early exposure to fruits and vegetables.
Danielle Johnson, presenting the district’s Nutrition Services report, said the district served about 644,000 meals in 2022–23 and increased to about 665,000 in 2023–24, with breakfast participation rising to roughly 24,400 and lunches to about 61,246.
Johnson said staff are piloting a "Harvest of the Month" program in preschool and transitional kindergarten classrooms to give young children repeated, supervised exposure to fruits and vegetables. "We’re launching that pilot with the preschool program, giving students opportunities to try fruits and vegetables while we’re trying to create healthy habits young," Johnson said. The program provides monthly classroom kits with a recipe, books, stickers and activities and includes teacher demonstrations; staff will visit three classrooms per month to assist with recipes and activities.
The pilot also includes parent outreach: Johnson said the district will hold a parent workshop on "Healthy Living" for families of the nine participating classrooms so parents can replicate activities at home. She noted some classrooms are using a hydroponic system that produced about 30 pounds of leafy greens per month; those excess greens are being shared with families.
Johnson highlighted meal-program successes and student favorites, including preschool menu items and middle school entrees. She described other engagement activities from the year — school-barbecue support, National School Lunch Week giveaways and a coloring contest — and said the nutrition team plans to continue classroom integration of tasting experiences and reading activities.
Board members asked clarifying questions about health inspections and program reach; Johnson responded that all sites had passed their health inspections and emphasized the program is being rolled out gradually to ensure safety and teacher buy-in. The board did not take formal action on the program at the meeting; Johnson said staff will report back as the pilot progresses.
