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Media Room

Contact information, press releases, and sample press coverage.

Media

Press and Media

For media inquiries, contact Anne Moertel.
main: 510.845.4595

Press Releases

October 1, 2024 With Free School Meal Participation Up Statewide, California Schools Celebrate Serving More Local Fruits and Vegetables During Farm to School Month	May 28, 2024 New Release: Transforming School Food Politics Around the World	September 14, 2023 California’s School Meals for All Program Proves More Students Eat When Meals are Free
August 11, 2023 First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Senator Nancy Skinner Join School Nutrition Staff for Farm to School Culinary Training	June 30, 2022 California Makes Vital Investments In Free School Meals	February 10, 2022 School Meals For All Can Strengthen Farm to School
January 11, 2022 Proposed California Budget Strengthens Commitment to School Meals for All	June 29, 2021 California To Provide Free School Meals For All	June 3, 2021 California Poised to Be First in Nation to Permanently Provide Free School Meals to All Kids
May 14, 2021 Governor’s May Budget Revise Embraces Universal School Meals	May 4, 2021 Free School Meals for All Considered in California State Budget	April 21, 2021 SB 364 Passes Senate Human Services Committee
April 19, 2021 School Meals For All Bill Would Nourish Students Beyond Pandemic	April 7, 2021 School Meals For All Passes Senate Education Committee with Unanimous Bi-Partisan Support	April 6, 2021 School Meal Program Directors, Teachers, Anti-Hunger and Health Advocates Join Calls for Free School Meals for All California Students
February 10, 2021 Bill Could Make California First in Nation to Provide School Meals to All Kids	September 22, 2020 California Governor Approves Additional $80M for Emergency School Meals During Pandemic	August 31, 2020 California Legislature Approves $80M for Emergency School Meals
July 28, 2020 California School Meals in Jeopardy as Critical Federal Waivers Are Not Yet Extended	June 29, 2020 California Kids Receive Essential Funding for Safe School Meals During Pandemic in State’s Final Budget	June 24, 2020 Summer Meals Participation Doubles for Many of California’s School Districts During COVID-19
January 10, 2020 Governor Newsom Proposes $70+ million for Healthy School Meals in 2020-21 Budget	June 29, 2017 Whole Kids Foundation® Launches Free Organic Education App, Helping Kids Discover the Meaning of Organic	May 29, 2017 Summer Meals with a California Twist
January 24, 2017 Freshly Prepared Today: 517,000 School Meals Made with California-Grown Food	April 7, 2016 Food Service Innovator Jennifer Gerard Joins the Center for Ecoliteracy	March 17, 2016 58 School Districts Statewide Celebrate Locally-Sourced Food This ‘California Thursday’
October 22, 2015 What’s on the ‘California Thursdays’ Menu for Six NorCal School Districts? Grass-Fed Beef!	October 20, 2015 Innovative California Thursdays program expands to more than 220 SD Unified Schools, fastest growing in state

Press Coverage

Television and Radio

November 16, 2023 VPM News What are our children eating at school?	July 20, 2023 PBS Bay Area Bountiful: The Center for Ecoliteracy	August 29, 2022 ABC 10 News Universal Meals Program in California schools
September 1, 2021 Fox 5 News San Diego Unified: What to Expect in Your School Cafeteria	January 27, 2017 New program brings fresh California produce to SLO schools NBC San Luis Obispo (KSBY-TV)	August 19, 2016 How Can Schools Make Lunches More Appealing to Teens? KQED-FM
April 14, 2016 New food program at Arvin Union School District NBC Kern County (KGET-TV)	March 17, 2016 Comiendo sano Univision Palm Springs	March 17, 2016 ‘’California Thursdays” program expands statewide CBS Central Coast (KION-TV)
March 16, 2016 Farm to fork program puts local food in school lunches ABC Sacramento (KXTV-TV)	February 25, 2016 Local school lunches entirely California grown ABC San Diego (KGTV-TV)

Print and Online

July 25, 2024 Pluribus News Universal free school meal efforts face budget realities	May 18, 2023 Mercury News Demand has surged for California’s free school meals. But with a drop in extra federal funding, can Bay Area kitchens keep up?	May 2, 2023 Turlock Journal Getting kids to like kale
April 11, 2023 EdSource Schools should partner with family farms to provide nutrition and education	October 23, 2022 Pluribus News States expand free school meals as Covid-era funding ends	August 15, 2022 Civil Eats Farm to School Efforts Just Got a Big Influx of Cash. Will It Help More Schools Get On Board?
October 1, 2021 New York Times What to Know About California’s Free School Lunch Program	August 6, 2021 San Diego Union Tribune Student meals in California are now free—and fresh, with locally grown ingredients	July 19, 2021 Associated Press California Launches Largest Free School Lunch Program in US
May 10, 2021 EdSource Let's Make Free School Meals for All Permanent in California	August 31, 2020 California Legislature Approves Additional $80M for Emergency School Meals Medium	August 24, 2020 California Set to Approve $80M for School Meals Medium
August 13, 2020 Schools Should Feed All Children During A Pandemic Medium	July 30, 2020 Pandemic Child Hunger Prevention Act Aims to Expand Access to Nutritious Meals During COVID-19 National Emergency eatrightPRO Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics	June 10, 2020 School lunches: Trying to keep kids fed during COVID-19 Capitol Weekly
June 5, 2020 School meals: More important this summer than ever California School Boards Association Blog	September 3, 2019 Rethinking School Food: A Systems Approach Green Schools Catalyst Quarterly	February 9, 2017 How California is Reinventing School Lunch University of California
January 27, 2017 Centralia school district in Buena Park will serve locally sourced meals at least once a week Orange County Register	January 25, 2017 Woodlake Unified to serve ‘California Thursdays’ The Sun Gazette	November 13, 2016 Fresh approach with farm-to-school meals in Oakland San Francisco Chronicle
November 7, 2016 “Boat-to-School” Programs Source Fresh Seafood for Students Civil Eats	August 12, 2016 Sustainable Fish in School Lunches Edible East Bay	April 4, 2016 Vista’s school lunches get a makeover Coast News Group
March 23, 2016 From farm to lunch table San Diego Union-Tribune	March 18, 2016 The battle to get local food into school cafeterias San Francisco Chronicle	March 18, 2016 California Thursdays Program Brings San Diego Food to San Diego Kids Live Well San Diego
March 17, 2016 PV High joins schools in 56 districts for ‘California Thursdays’ Watsonville Register-Pajaronian	March 16, 2016 ‘California Thursdays’ spreads to Santa Cruz County school districts Santa Cruz Sentinel	March 16, 2016 Local foods added to school menu Del Norte Triplicate
January 22, 2016 Oakland’s central kitchen to provide a bounty of fresh, locally sourced school meals East Bay Times