‘A gastronomic experience’: the US schools serving local veggies and edible flowers over frozen food

With locally grown Valencia oranges, watermelon radish and broccolini, kids enjoy nutritious meals – while small farmers and the community also benefit

Mature grapefruit and avocado trees line one side of Magnolia elementary school in sunny Upland, California, a small city about half an hour east of Los Angeles. About 120 students participate in the school’s garden club where, in addition to learning about gardening and farming, they enjoy the literal fruits of their labor when their food is harvested and served in Upland unified school district cafeterias.

“It helps them understand the produce they’re seeing in the salad bar,” says Upland unified’s farm-to-school manager, Cassidy Furnari.