fresh meal options that mimic what students see at restaurants.
schools I work with had challenges with Romaine Lettuce this past spring, which was a side effect from the flooding. We did our best to pivot to other products and use the lettuces we were able to get. In the meantime, companies like Taylor Farms were working hard to continue to provide quality produce. After the amazing tours of Taylor Farms fields and processing facility, school nutrition leaders integrated into The Food Service Conference alongside
The experience at Taylor Farms, visiting both the growing fields and processing plant in Salinas, California was eye opening. Not only is their operation just simply amazing, but their passion for partnerships to solve challenges in the mist of obstacles is admirable. In April 2022, Taylor Farms had a devastating
those culinary professionals working in restaurants, colleges, hospitals, and other food service operations. By including K-12 menu planners at the conference, it helped to guide the produce industry’s understanding of how school foodservice operators make menu decisions, procure produce, while also introducing school buyers to a variety of fresh produce choices and foodservice pack sizes that exist in the industry. The interactions on the show floor created opportunities to offer more fresh fruit and vegetables for students to enjoy. In talking with many in the produce industry, they were not just trying to sell a product, but seeking to understand what they can supply to help short-staffed school kitchens while catering to student preferences. While the 3 days in Monterey were jam-packed, I left with so many new connections both with other school nutrition leaders and with produce industry innovators. We are all on the same team. We are all working to bring innovative menu items using fresh produce into schools for students to enjoy. By following restaurant trends, sharing ideas between districts across the United States, and working with the produce industry, we can encourage students to try new foods and expand taste bids for years to come.
fire at their food processing plant in Salinas. The entire plant was a total loss, but they did not stop operations, they found other ways to continue production by shifting processing to other facilities. In addition, this past January there was flooding in Salinas Valley, where Taylor Farms grows produce which in turn impacted school nutrition operations, who are large users of Romaine Lettuce and other crops. The
Next year, the International Fresh Produce Association’s Foodservice Conference will be July 25- 26, 2024, also in Monterey, CA. Be sure to visit: IFPA - International Fresh Produce Association for more information on this conference and other events and collaboration opportunities between the produce industry and school nutrition operators throughout the year.
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