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District nutrition staff report expanded Farm to School sourcing, $84,000 education grant and steps taken to cut waste
Summary
District nutrition staff told the board their Farm to School program now sources a majority of proteins and produce from local Basin producers (63.2% hyperlocal); the program won an $84,000 education grant and will pilot composting, garden towers and expanded FFA partnerships while continuing to manage USDA procurement rules and waste concerns.
District nutrition staff gave a detailed update on the 2025–26 Farm to School and nutrition program, describing featured foods, local sourcing percentages, operational changes to reduce waste and plans tied to an $84,000 education grant.
The presenters told the Klamath County School District Board that featured foods this year included cantaloupes from Maranatha Farms, pork from Lost River FFA, wild rice from Ankeny Farms, marionberries, yakisoba noodles from Umi Organics and raw beef patties from Veil Meat Company. They said the program increased hyperlocal sourcing to roughly 63.2% (products from producers in the Klamath Basin) and that proteins made up about 49% of purchases, produce 44% and grains 6%.
To reduce waste and speed lunch lines at elementary schools, nutrition staff removed salad bars for elementary cafeterias and used pre‑plated servings. The presenter said production waste decreased and that the change saved roughly $29,000 on fresh produce this year, though national inflation for produce partially offset savings. Staff emphasized that student discard data is not collected (they said collecting that would require constant monitoring of trash), so the measure of success relies on production records completed by kitchen managers.
Staff discussed federal constraints: USDA and Oregon Department of Education rules define components of reimbursable meals (meat/meat alternative ounce requirements, fruit/vegetable cups) and, as a CEP (Community Eligibility Provision) district, the district must include required components even when students do not eat them — a dynamic staff said contributes to waste. They noted a recent USDA clarification on whole‑milk service effective June 8 but described continuing ambiguity for some regulations.
Speakers described local procurement challenges: school food service must use USDA‑inspected protein processing; some local processors are still pursuing USDA or ODA certification, requiring additional transport and processing steps that increase costs. Staff said the program awarded a farm to school education grant of about $84,000 this year, with planned investments in garden towers, raised beds, compost bins and expanded FFA farm equipment to create producer‑to‑cafeteria pathways (last year’s competitive award was $100,000).
Board members and staff discussed menu change timelines, favorite and least‑wasted meals (chicken nuggets and some entrees were cited as favorites; beef stroganoff had low consumption), commodity ordering timelines and the practical limits of tailoring menus across 21 schools. Staff said they will use grants and producer visits to expand education and in‑classroom activities next year.
The update did not require board action but included multiple operational items for continued monitoring and possible budgetary decisions tied to grant awards and procurement.
