-Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District

The SMMUSD Farmers’ Market Salad Bar was the first of its kind in the Los Angeles area. The program began in 1997 at one elementary school and within 4 years had expanded to include all 14 schools in the district. The produce is purchased directly from farmers at the local farmers’ markets on Wednesday and Saturday. The order is called in advance to farmers with whom purchase orders have been set up and the farmer packs the produce ready for pick up. A Food and Nutrition Services Driver picks up the produce, sorts it at the central kitchen and delivers it to each site. The salad bar is prepared fresh daily by a Salad Bar coordinator at each site. Every day students are given a choice of a hot meal or the salad bar for their lunch. Salad Bar is chosen by one third of the students most days.

Major funding for this program came from a Department of Health Services Nutrition Network grant, and donations from the PTA. After ten years in operation the Farmers’ Market Salad Bar has become institutionalized as a lunch option. Food and Nutrition Services spends approximately $35,000 a year on farm fresh produce.

Other program components include school gardens on each campus, nutrition education in the classroom and trips to the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market.

Contact

Dona Richwine
1651 16th St
Santa Monica, 90404
Phone: (310) 450-8338 x259
richwine@smmusd.org