changing the future : continued
ensure they have the best ingredients , Jochner has partnered with six local farms he feels are the best for MHUSD ’ s needs . He is on the lookout for more . “ All of the farms we buy from are certified USDA organic . Two are minority owned and one is woman owned , so we are very thoughtful and very specific about who we ’ re working with and why we ’ re working with them ,” Jochner explained .
Every step of the way , Jochner ’ s choices have been led by what is right for the kids , the environment , and the community . He hopes that by giving kids healthy food choices and modeling sustainable farming practices , it will inspire younger generations to continue making the right choices . In the meantime , he ’ s happy to keep fighting the good fight .
Morgan Hill Unified is the only district to be partnered with Straus Milk , one of two companies that offer a bulk milk solution . Students are given a biodegradable cup that they can fill up themselves from milk machines , thereby eliminating the need for cartons and reducing food waste . MHUSD is also partnered with Richard ’ s Grassfed Beef , which practices regenerative farming practices that make their cattle carbon negative . “ Not only do I have the best beef patty anywhere , but we serve it less often . We ’ re really looking at regenerative farming for all our proteins and trying to shift the whole culture towards at least a 50 / 50 plant-based alternative ,” Jochner said .
Yet , changing people ’ s taste buds is a tall order , especially when processed foods are so readily available . Like many of Jochner ’ s decisions , changing the school menu to use whole grains , more vegetables , and less sugar , salt , and fat , initially caused confusion . Changing the pizza in particular was chaos . But for Jochner the stakes are too high to worry about ruffling some feathers . “ In Morgan Hill and Gilroy , kids of color live five years shorter than white kids thirty miles north of us , and it ’ s not because of their education . It ’ s because of food . Childhood diabetes , obesity , and anxiety are all influenced by food and have a lifelong effect . So when I come to work , I feel that weight ,” he explained . Thankfully , taste buds do change over time , and after a few months meals like the pizza became best-sellers .
Freight Farms hydroponic vertical growing greenhouse utilizes LED lighing in a temperature controlled , weatherproof environment , allowing crops to be grown and harvested year round . To learn more visit : www . freightfarms . com
To learn more about the Morgan Hill Unified School District ' s Student Nutrition program , visit : www . mhusd . org / student-nutrition
Jochner is extremely proud of how far MHUSD has come . Recently , he partnered with Eat REAL , an organization that analyzes school nutrition programs , who rated the district as 52 to 54 percent scratch cooked . It ’ s a huge leap from their heat-and-serve days . With Eat REAL ’ s help , Jochner ’ s goal is to be 100 percent scratch cooked , and well below California ’ s allowable targets for sugar and salt .
Despite this , Jochner is surprised to find that many parents still aren ’ t aware of the leaps and strides they ’ ve made in school food , and that more kids aren ’ t getting school lunches . He ’ s aware that when parents think of school food they remember how bad it was in their day , and he hopes to dispel that stigma , not only because it ’ s beneficial for the kids , but because it helps support the community .
Aside from getting the word out about the food , Jochner is also searching for a farmer to help him get his demonstration farm going . “ We could really change the face of Morgan Hill Unified with a real demonstration farm ,” Jochner said , “ It ’ s just going to take that one person , that one farmer , who ’ s like , ‘ Sure , I ’ ll show up Saturday . I ’ ll help you level this land .’ And then it ’ s going to snowball .”
Morgan Hill Unified School District STUDENT NUTRITION 1505 East Main Avenue Morgan Hill , CA 95117 408-201-6000
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