“Why do we have to make kids take food they don't want?” That was the question from a teacher to a cafeteria lead, expressed (we’ll assume) with good intentions to reduce food waste.

“Schools are now the single healthiest place Americans are eating.” They cannot believe it. And that’s exactly why I LOVE to cite it. It has an edge to it that sticks with people. They want so badly to refute it, and yet when the findings are presented there’s no arguing.

Edges don’t have to be bold, seemingly outlandish statements. They can be simple facts that people don’t understand. For example:

Getting started is often the biggest hurdle to anything new. 

“Where do I start?”
“Will it work?” 
“Can I do it?” 
“What if it doesn't go the way I think it will?” 
(Spoiler alert: it won’t).

“Once I set up social media channels for my nutrition program, how do I grow the audience?” Great question, and it’s something that comes with many possibilities and opportunities.

Some people say, ”I want it to grow organically.” But as any farmer will tell you, growing organically comes with its own set of work and processes - it’s not just planting a seed and letting it happen. It has to be cultivated.

The week of October 23 - 28 was jam-packed with fantastic experiences and people as we attended two conferences filled with inspiring people from school nutrition departments, family farms, state and national agencies, advocacy groups, and even California’s First Partner, Jennifer Siebel-Newsom.