Let's Move Salad Bars To Schools Campaign Helps School District Implement Salad Bars At All Schools

Bakersfield, California – Thanks to the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign, Panama-Buena Vista Union School District (PBVUSD) reached their goal of implementing salad bar lunch programs at all of their schools on Monday, September 14th. The district is proud to say that now all 23 school sites (18 elementary and 5 junior high) have salads bars as part of their school lunch program.

The salad bar program started in 2010 when the then CEO and President of Sun World, Al Vangelos, approached the district about partnering with local grape growers Sun World and Pandol Bros. (both of whom are members of the United Fresh Produce Association) to pilot a salad bar program at Stonecreek Junior High. Each grower donated a salad bar as part of their ongoing support of the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative founded in part by the United Fresh Produce Association and supported by First Lady Obama’s Let’s Move! Initiative.

The pilot program at Stonecreek Junior High proved to be a huge success! Not only did it increase participation in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) by 25%, but it helped increase the students’ consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. To date, PBVUSD has received 29 salad bars, valued at approximately $87,000, through this great campaign. Salad bar donors include Sun World; Pandol Bros.; Grimmway Farms; California Women for Agriculture – Kern County Chapter; Whole Kids Foundation; Pro Citrus Network; Morada Produce, Inc.; Ed Purves (2014 Tour de Fresh); Van Gromingen and Sons, Inc.; Fresno Produce Company; HarvestMark; Lisa McNeece; and California Grape & Tree Fruit League .

The Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign has allowed school districts across the country to make the best improvement ever to school lunches. To date, the campaign has earned over $10,000,000 and donated more than 4,100 salad bars to schools, making a huge impact in helping students develop healthy, lifelong eating habits. The campaign relies on personal involvement and charitable commitment of produce growers, distributors, and marketers to raise private funds for donations of salad bars to schools.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, MyPlate, encourages making half of your plate fruits and vegetables to promote good health, maintain a healthy weight, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. PBVUSD’s Director of Nutrition Services, Marilou Onaindia said, “The addition of the salad bar to the NSLP is an effective and

creative way of introducing fresh fruits and vegetables to students, offering variety and choice. When students are able to create their meal the way they like it, they eat it. And we all know that for a meal to be nutritious, it must be eaten.”

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Founded in 1875, the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District is located in, and southwest of, the City of Bakersfield. The district provides public education to 17,800 kindergarten through eighth grade students in eighteen elementary and five junior high schools. Each school offers its students breakfast and lunch in a fully staffed and equipped kitchen and multipurpose room. On a daily basis, approximately 3,000 students participate in the School Breakfast Program, and 11,700 students participate in the National School Lunch Program. Three elementary schools (Castle, Sandrini, and Stine) are participating in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program where students are given a fresh fruit or vegetable snack during morning recess. Snacks are provided for after-school programs (ACES and Day Care).

The Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign was launched in 2010 with the mission of donating salad bars to U.S. schools so that every child has daily access to fresh fruits and vegetables. This healthy school lunch initiative was founded by the Chef Ann Foundation, National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance, United Fresh Produce Association Foundation and Whole Foods Market in support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Initiative. To date, the campaign has earned over $10,000,000 and donated more than 4,100 salad bars to schools. The campaign raises funds from the produce industry, foundations, non-profits and allied businesses to support salad bars for schools.

Source: California Women for Agriculture-Kern County Chapter