MEDIA ADVISORY from the San Diego Unified School District: California Thursdays Launches in San Diego Unified Schools on Oct. 23

Oct. 21, 2014

MEDIA ADVISORY from the San Diego Unified School District

Contact: Joanne Tucker, Food Services Marketing Coordinator, (858) 627-7316 or (619) 886-5546

California Thursdays Launches in San Diego Unified Schools

San Diego Unified Joins 14 Other Districts in Revolutionary Action: Serving California Food to California Kids(tm)

SAN DIEGO - Students from 27 schools in San Diego Unified will be test subjects for an experimental school food approach - feeding them freshly prepared, locally grown foods. It's part of a statewide pilot program called California Thursdays that does something incredible - serves California food to California students.

What seems like a no-brainer has actually taken months of preparation and the collective effort of 15 school districts, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and a leading advocacy group. In a single day, San Diego Unified and 14 other school districts will pilot a program that defies a massive and entrenched food supply system.

WHY: San Diego Unified thinks it's the right thing to do for its students. California Thursdays is a win-win for schools, students, family farms and the environment. In addition to providing healthy, delicious meals to students, it boosts student health and education, improves the district's budget, strengthens the local agricultural economy and cuts carbon emissions. San Diego Unified's Farm to School program has been "growing" strong since 2010. California Thursdays is a natural extension that now focuses on the whole meal.

WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014
12 Noon to 1 p.m.

WHERE: Pacific Beach Elementary
1234 Tourmaline St. SD 92109

Photo Opportunities:

* Students enjoying the California Thursdays' menu of Mary's free-range, antibiotic-free chicken drumsticks, fresh, colorful salad bar full of California produce including the October Harvest of the Month, Red Flame grapes, Valencia oranges and other great build-your-own salad ingredients that can be topped with all-natural honey mustard dressing from San Diego's own Green Bellies; a whole grain roll and milk from the happy California cows at Hollandia Dairy.
* Educational displays teaching children where the food they eat comes from
* Pacific Beach Elementary students planting seedlings in their school garden.

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