EMCSD Receives $200,,000 Food & Nutrition Grant
El Monte City School District (EMCSD) nutrition services received a $200,000 grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, CA Farm to School Incubator Grant Program. It will provide new opportunities for students to learn about nutrition through hands-on experiences, including two years of student study trips to local farms. It will also expand EMCSD’s popular "Harvest of the Month" program, bringing more fresh fruits and vegetables grown within 400 miles of El Monte to lunch lines. These initiatives are set to enrich students' knowledge of healthy eating while supporting local agriculture.
Director of Nutrition Services, Jenny Lee shared “We were ecstatic to hear the award announcement as it will elevate our efforts in providing locally sourced fruit and vegetables and nutrition education.” The nutrition team has been working diligently to elevate recipes currently offered on school menus and create culturally aligned recipes. In 2023, nutrition services applied for CDE Kitchen Infrastructure and Training funds and opted in to receive extra funding contingent on the ability to have at least 40% of the breakfast and lunch menus freshly-prepared.
EMCSD’s first scratch-made meal this year were homemade enchiladas. The sauce was made over two days using over 65 pounds of dried guajillo chile peppers and went on top of two whole grain cheese enchiladas. “Our team at the Central Kitchen made over 5900 servings to feed our schools and it was a hit all around!” said Ms. Lee. Nutrition services hopes to have more hits as they are currently working on a chicken pozole, ballpark beef chili, and freshly baked muffins for breakfast to add to our growing scratch-prepared menu.
Nutrition services aims to maximize the use of these funds to create as many opportunities as possible. Ms. Lee shared, “The funding has enabled us to hire additional cook-bakers, train staff, invest in better equipment, and source better ingredients.” This will help lighten the workload while also ensuring more freshly prepared meals for students. Training opportunities will also be offered to current staff, equipping them with new skills in areas such as scratch cooking, utilizing higher-quality ingredients, and operating efficient kitchen equipment. By investing in both people and resources, the district aims to provide healthier, tastier meals that reflect its commitment to student well-being.
“Our team takes pride in the hard work that goes into preparing and serving over 2.8 million meals and snacks for our EMCSD students. I know this sentiment sits with all of our nutrition services staff - but nothing is better than seeing our kiddos excited, smiling, and enjoying the meals we work so hard to prepare,” said Ms. Lee.
Additionally, Cherrylee School has been named one of America’s Healthiest Schools for 2024 by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. The honor recognizes school teams that implement strategies to maximize school meal participation, meaningfully collaborate with teachers on nutrition education, and partner with community organizations to improve families’ nutrition security. This was made possible with the incredible dedication and hard work of staff, who help create a healthy and supportive environment for students.
