Grass Valley, CA – As we reach the midway point of the school year, I’ve found myself reflecting on how much has changed. Not just in our operations, but in the everyday experience of students walking into their cafeterias. When we launched Community Roots School Food Services Agency, our north star was clear: to create a school food program that is a true expression of community care- meals that nourish students, strengthen local farmers, support staff, and enrich the wellbeing of our region.
That vision is no longer an idea on paper. It is something we can see on the lunch line, smell in the kitchen, and hear in the voices of students when they say things like, “Wow, real food!” and “Yo this lunch is actually peak.” (a high compliment from a middle schooler!) These simple words remind us why this work matters.
I am so proud of our accomplishments in 2025: we purchased thousands of pounds of local and organic produce to nourish our students. We’ve strengthened direct relationships with local farms like Super Tuber and partnered with Spork Food Hub and Gold Country Food Hub, which source organic produce from local and regional farmers. Today, more than 60 percent of our produce is organic, and we’ve nearly eliminated the use of precut fruits and vegetables. This is a clear step toward fresher, less processed food.
We have also transitioned away from wasteful, plastic-wrapped lunches at every one of our school sites and nearly every school has a salad bar. Our menus continue to evolve toward scratch-made meals created with intention and care. And the community response has been clear: in addition to the anecdotes and quotes, student participation has grown across every district we serve.
Behind these changes is a deeply committed and growing team. We are now 67 employees strong, working together to build a school food system that reflects our values: nourishment, dignity, local connection, and sustainability. Our staff live this mission every day. Their commitment to serving better food to our students is real and heartfelt, and the excitement they bring to this work is visible in every kitchen, on every line, and in the way they talk about feeding kids. This shared belief in real food and care for students is one of our greatest strengths.
Like many school food programs, we operate within real-world constraints. Our facilities are not yet what we need, and at times we have had to get creative- adapting our systems and processes to work within the kitchens and spaces we have now. But creativity has never slowed our mission. If anything, it has sharpened it. In spite of our limitations, we have continued moving toward true scratch cooking and whole food ingredients. This progress is only possible because of the dedication and flexibility of our staff, who show up every day with heart, skill, and the belief that our students deserve the very best we can offer. Join us for a public tour of a kitchen site the first Tuesday of every month, 5:15-6:00pm, rsvp required, info@communityrootsnc.org.
While we are transforming meals today, we are also building the foundation for tomorrow. One of our most exciting opportunities has been planning for our new Central Kitchen, which will be located at 848 Gold Flat Road in Nevada City. This facility will allow us to expand scratch cooking, support more local farmers, strengthen our workforce, and increase efficiency, all while improving the quality and consistency of meals served across our member districts. We look forward to sharing more updates about this in the coming months.
Finally, I want to acknowledge that none of this work happens in isolation. We are deeply grateful for the support of so many families and community members, local nonprofit organizations, our member school districts, and the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools. Your partnership, trust, and encouragement make this progress possible, and every step we take together brings us closer to a school food system rooted in whole foods, local sourcing, and community connection.
Thank you for being part of this journey, for believing that real food belongs in schools and that every child deserves to feel proud and excited about the meals they receive. Here’s to the progress we have made, and to the even brighter future we are building together.