South Monterey County Joint Union High School District is Eat Real Certified!
We are over-the-moon excited to announce that South Monterey County Joint Union High School (SMCJUHSD) is now Eat Real Certified Green! This small but mighty district in the heart of Monterey County consists of three high schools and 2,448 students, serving 323,496 breakfasts and lunches per year. 95% of SMCJUHSD’s students are from Hispanic and Latinx families, many of whom work in the food and agriculture sector. Through a deeply rooted Farm to School Program and culturally relevant recipes, Director Denisse Peña and her dedicated kitchen staff nourish students with vibrant, delicious, and unique meals.
Taking Farm to School to the next level
This is an Eat Real first: SMCJUHSD raised and processed their own pork! Made possible through a CDFA Farm to School grant, the pig was raised by Agricultural Pathways students at Greenfield High School. The SMCJUHSD Nutrition Services team created a pozole recipe inspired by one of the staff’s own recipes which featured the pork raised on campus. It was a hit among students who were proud to see their hard work represented on the school lunch menu.
The SMCJUHSD team also has plans to begin milling their own California-grown wheat on campus beginning in the 24-25 school year. With it, they’ll be able to make bread, pastas, and other baked goods not just from scratch, but from their own whole grain flour!
Certification journey highlights
Here are some of the major wins for SMCJUHSD in achieving green tier certification:
Almost 50% Locally Sourced
Aside from their incredible work in growing and processing their own ingredients, nearly half of all produce purchased by SMCJUHSD is from local/regional farms. Some examples of the local produce students enjoy are organic apples from The Fruit Guys out of Santa Barbara, cilantro from Watsonville Produce out of Santa Maria and melogold grapefruit from Bee Sweet Citrus out of Fresno.
2x the Fresh Produce
The number of different fruit options offered daily has doubled since 2021. Fresh produce is prepared in bite-size dishes to make them more appealing to students. This includes cut up cantaloupe, fresh pears with coconut and oat topping, sliced persimmons, and sectioned grapefruit. The Nutrition Services team regularly offers produce taste tests to give students a chance to provide feedback on menu items.
Nearly 2x the Responsible Proteins
Sustainably sourced animal proteins have increased from 23% to 41%, including grass fed beef from local Casey Redtail Ranch and chicken raised without antibiotics. Students can find Casey Redtail Ranch’s beef on Local Beef Fridays cheeseburgers topped with a student favorite scratch-made thousand island sauce. Casey Redtail Ranch uses regenerative ranching practices that allow for the overall health of the animal and improvement of soil. The ranch is only an eight minute drive from King City High School, and the rancher, Richard Casey, is a KCHS alumnus!
Follow Along
You can follow SMCJUHSD’s journey to making school food more delicious and nutritious for all on their Instagram. Please join us in celebrating South Monterey County Joint Union High School District’s incredible achievement and their continued dedication to bettering the food system and bringing real food to every table for all students!
About Eat Real
Eat Real nourishes the future of American school children through their award-winning K-12 certification program. District food service leaders are provided both the framework and support they need to make their school menus more delicious, nutritious and planet-sustaining. To achieve Eat Real certification, a district must meet a set of minimum requirements and earn a score of at least 60% to be green tier certified, based on an assessment against the 10 Eat Real Standards.
