Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in your school cafeteria? I mean, like really wondered? Well, let me tell you, the Ground Ed team just had an experience that has us feeling all kinds of inspired!

First, a huge shoutout to LBUSD Nutrition Services for inviting us into their world, where the magic of school meals happens. Picture this: kitchens humming with energy, passionate teams chopping, cooking, and prepping with the care and precision of chefs in a five-star restaurant. It’s no exaggeration to say there’s a whole lot of labor, time, effort, and most importantly, LOVE going into ensuring every student from elementary to high school gets a nutritious and balanced meal. It’s truly a labor of heart.

As the Ground Ed team, we’ve always been all about promoting healthy eating through our school gardens. There’s something beautiful about teaching kids to connect with the earth, to understand where their food comes from, and how it fuels their bodies. But seeing how that same mission carries through to the cafeteria was honestly everything. Knowing that the food our students enjoy in the cafeteria is a continuation of the lessons they’re learning in the garden? YES! That’s what we’re all about.

What really blew us away was how the Farm-to-School program comes to life. Fresh, local produce—yes, the same produce we teach kids to grow in our garden—is making its way from nearby farms to school plates. It’s like seeing the full circle of Ground Ed’s mission in real time, and our team couldn’t have been more geeked out about it all! Trust me, you could feel the energy bouncing off the walls with excitement.

And while we’re shouting out awesomeness, we can’t forget to give major love to Sherri, the superstar who made it all happen. Her passion and commitment to collaboration have truly taken this partnership to the next level. Sherri, you’re a rockstar, and we are beyond grateful for everything you do to make these connections possible.

This experience was an incredible reminder that when we work together—school gardens, cafeteria teams, and community programs—we can create something really special for our students. From farm to tray, this is what nourishing young minds and bodies looks like, and we’re here for it all. 💚

Until next time, keep planting those seeds of knowledge and let’s keep growing—together!

Ground Education teamed up with Justin Nguyen from Long Beach Mushrooms to create a new fungi-themed lesson for 5th graders and give our partner schools an opportunity to grow mushrooms in the classroom.  Ground Ed staff toured Justin's local mushroom farm and we are inspired to highlight the Fungi Kingdom as a vital part of our food supply, healthy ecosystems and innovative solutions to environmental challenges.  

Fungi can be medicine, textiles, building materials, biofuel and water filters.  They can feed on oil, toxic chemicals and radioactive waste to help clean up environmental disasters. Fungi are found everywhere in nature - the forest floor,  the ocean floor, the desert sand and on the tops of mountains. They are the largest organisms and the smallest, the oldest and the youngest. Partnering with local farmers to bring nature concepts to life makes lessons powerful and place-based.  Thank you Justin.