SLO County kids are eating better than ever at school. But a threat is looming
The stereotype of mystery meat in school lunches has been around for decades — but local school food providers in San Luis Obispo County are hoping to change the game.
Kids who hit the school cafeteria for lunch these days are more likely to find from-scratch meals made with fresh ingredients from farms and ranches right down the road.
And it’s not limited to lunch. Schools are also required to provide breakfasts, all while focusing on more healthy options than in the past.
That’s great news for parents, who can save money on their food bills and time preparing meals at home, all the while trusting their kids are well-nourished and ready to learn.
The effort is part of a state- and nationwide push to get healthier foods into schools — especially when many students eat more than half of their weekly meals in the cafeteria.
However, while parents and school leaders may be on the same page, suddenly the federal government now might not be.
In early March, the U.S. Agriculture Department cut over $660 million in funding that was set to help schools and daycares purchase local produce, Politico reported March 10.
“I want to feed our students the freshest, most local, tasteful, nutritious food that they can possibly get,” said Paso Robles food services director Jessie Wesch, who is also a parent in the Paso Robles district. “Every student deserves to eat a healthy meal.”
What do school meals look like?
When students at Paso Robles’ Lewis Flamson Junior High School walked into the cafeteria one day last month, they weren’t met with the highly processed, previously frozen school lunches their parents ate when they were kids.
Instead, the kids got to choose between a homemade bean and cheese burrito or a fresh bowl of ramen, made with whole grain noodles, vegetable broth and local produce.
Since Top Ramen and other brands are common lunchtime snacks, the district is trying to cater to kids’ tastes and develop a meal that will not only get students excited, but also provide all the necessary vitamins and minerals, Wesch told The Tribune.
Packing nutrients into a familiar meal can also encourage kids to try new foods that they might not otherwise eat, she added.
For the most part, that approach appeared to be working.
Many students’ eyes lit up as they entered the cafeteria and saw ramen in the lineup — and those who were more hesitant seemed just as satisfied taking a burrito.
Wesch told The Tribune she tries to observe students’ reactions to new meals and salad bar items so she knows what can be improved for the future.
The middle schoolers also got their pick of local produce to pair with their meal, including cucumbers from SLO, snap peas from Arroyo Grande, kiwi fruit from Nipomo and apples from Paso.
A sign on one of the serving stations left no doubt in its guidance for the kids: “You must take a fruit or a veggie! Thank you.”
More than 60% of the district’s produce is sourced from SLO County farms, according to Wesch — but the use of local foods isn’t limited to Paso Robles.
San Luis Coastal Unified School District shells out close to $1 million a year to SLO County farms, ranches and artisans, according to food services director Erin Primer.
In their lunches, students regularly see pasta made in Paso Robles and meat from Hearst Ranch.
And students in San Miguel get bread and muffins made with wheat grown right on their school grounds as part of the California Wheat Commission’s Wheat2School project, according to food director Lauren Thomas.
Thomas said her district uses products from at least three or four local farms each week.
According to Wesch, these partnerships with local farms benefit both the district and the growers. They get to skip the middleman and go straight to the buyer.
“It saves them the time, and they know that their product is going to a good cause,” she said.
SLO County farmer Justin Warren also spoke to those benefits.
Warren and his wife operate Shanley Farms in Morro Bay, which specializes in growing avocados, passionfruit and finger limes.
He originally approached the San Luis Coastal district about a partnership after seeing his own kids’ obsession with eating finger limes, a small, tart fruit originating from Australia. He thought partnering with schools could be a great way to expand their market.
“Our three sons eat these finger limes all day long. They love them,” Warren said. “I think kids have an interest in sour, kind of unique things, and I thought it would fit really well into the school system. And turns out, they do like them a lot.”
Warren first partnered with Primer in San Luis Coastal, who then became the farm’s “biggest cheerleader,” Warren said.
“It started with San Luis Coastal, then it went to Paso, and then pretty much all the local school districts in this area are purchasing our produce,” Warren said.
Getting their foot in the door in SLO County schools has helped them find a much larger market — now, Shanley Farms provides produce to big districts like San Diego Unified and Fresno Unified, as well as other school districts across the nation.
Beyond it being a lucrative business decision, Warren said he also wanted to get local produce into schools to help kids.
“We really have a heart for kids,” he said. “I think it’s really important to change the way that kids see food, and just what they’re consuming. I think sugar is off the charts — too many carbohydrates and sugar and candy.”
Both Primer and Wesch, as parents of students in their districts, also told The Tribune that their goal to make school meals healthier is a personal one.
Wesch takes comfort in knowing that when her kids are at school, they’re eating from-scratch meals, organic produce and dye-free snacks.
“I know where the food’s coming from. I know that they don’t have chemicals. ... it’s literally grown in their backyard,” she said.
Primer added: “It means something so much greater to me as a parent to not only be able to serve my own children, but their classmates and the children in our entire district.”
Kris Vander Weele, a parent and employee of San Luis Coastal, described having local food in schools as an “immense gift.”
Her son has celiac disease, so knowing where his food is coming from is of high value.
“I don’t worry about him at school, because I know he’s got access to great food,” she said.
Demand for school meals has increased
Generally, food insecurity among youth in SLO County has seen an uptick since the pandemic.
In 2019, around 10.7% of children under 18 were considered food insecure, but by 2022, that number had risen to 13.8%, according to data from the national nonprofit Feeding America.
To help students fight food insecurity, California created a universal meals program in 2022, requiring schools to provide free breakfasts and lunches to all students regardless of their income status, according to the California Department of Education.
For busy parents trying to get their kids to school and themselves off to work, that can be a game-changer during the weekday morning rush, ensuring children start and finish their school days well fed.
Although the meals are provided universally, the state still tallies the number of students who would qualify for free or reduced-price meals — typically students who live in low-income households or participate in other government programs like SNAP.
In the 2019-20 school year, just over 15,000 local students qualified — but that number has increased countywide even as school enrollment has decreased in several districts. By 2024, over 17,000 students qualified, representing over 50% of students in the county, according to EdData.
Annual school meal participation has also increased as a result of these factors — along with the use of better-tasting, high-quality food.
Meal participation has risen by over 50% since the pandemic in San Luis Coastal, according to Primer. Meanwhile, Paso Robles served about 1.3 million meals last school year for its student body of about 6,588, Wesch said.
“We are the largest breakfast and lunch restaurant in North County,” Wesch told The Tribune.
Several districts, including Paso Robles, San Luis Coastal and San Miguel, receive support from nonprofits like the Chef Ann Foundation to overcome challenges like staffing shortages and rising food costs — both of which have grown along with the demand for lunches.
Food service leaders are passionate about ensuring that students come to school ready to learn — and food plays a huge part in that.
“I know that when I’m extremely hangry, it’s really hard for me to focus as an adult, and I have to take a break and get a snack,” Wesch told The Tribune. “I can’t imagine some of our students who might not have had dinner the night before, and let alone the breakfast the day of, and they’re expected to learn. ... That’s not OK.”
Federal cuts threaten future of farm-to-fork
Despite the success SLO County school districts have seen with their farm-to-fork models, the future of the programs could be in jeopardy.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture cut over $660 million in funding for the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program, an initiative that helped schools get local foods, Politico reported.
According to Politico, a spokesperson for the USDA said in a statement that the programs “no longer effectuate” the goals of the federal agency.
The decision could compound the struggles that many SLO County cafeterias are facing, including rising food costs and a shortage of school lunch workers.
Even then, both Primer and Wesch told The Tribune on Tuesday that they will continue to do what they can to support both students and local agriculturists.
“While the Local Food For Schools funding allowed us to amplify local partnerships, it did not hinge on creating any of them nor was all funding solely from this source,” Primer said. “We will continue to purchase from our local farms and food businesses — it’s the right thing to do for our kids and our community.”
This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
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