Shared Plate Strategies

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Shared Plate Strategies

School Food Procurement Solutions: achieve your procurement goals with control, confidence and ease.

06/10/2026

Last week, our Project Coordinator, Tamara, attended the Farm-to-School event in Santa Monica, where child nutrition professionals got a firsthand look at what it takes to bring local food into school meals.

🌾 The day started at the farmers market, where we met local growers and vendors, learned about their work with school districts, and purchased fresh produce directly from them.

👩‍🍳 Then it was off to the teaching kitchen, where we turned those ingredients into a shared lunch using child nutrition-approved recipes.

🤝 Along the way, we heard inspiring farm-to-school success stories, exchanged ideas, and built connections between farmers and school food purchasers.

Events like these remind us that strong relationships are at the heart of better meals for students.

Thank you to Conscious Kitchen for a day full of learning, collaboration, and great food!

06/03/2026

Did you know that without proper procurement documentation, procurement reviews for child nutrition programs are WAY harder?

From missing bid records to outdated vendor agreements, even small errors can lead to compliance issues and long-term headaches.

At Shared Plate Strategies, we help districts stay audit-ready, streamline procurement processes, and uncover cost-saving opportunities so more resources go where they matter most: feeding students well.

If you think you could use a procurement tune-up, send us a DM, we’d love to chat!

05/21/2026

Did you know that without proper procurement documentation, procurement reviews child nutrition programs are WAY harder?

From missing bid records to outdated vendor agreements, even small errors can lead to compliance issues and finding headaches.

At Shared Plate Strategies, we help districts stay audit-ready, streamline procurement processes, and uncover cost-saving opportunities—so more resources go where they matter most: feeding students well.

05/20/2026

In March, we had the opportunity to connect across regions at two inspiring Farm to School gatherings—one in Bakersfield and one in Riverside 🌱

The Riverside Regional F2S Gathering brought together another passionate group of child nutrition pros, growers, and food hub leaders, all focused on expanding access to fresh, local food and hands-on learning opportunities for students. We hosted three procurement workshops with Mark Aziz from fielding questions on the intersection of school and food hub experiences in procurement.

At the Bakersfield Regional F2S Gathering, school food leaders, regional farms and food businesses came together to share ideas, strengthen connections, and even pick their own fresh lunch from the Edible Schoolyard Bakersfield garden! Ben teamed up with Tracey from the CDFA Farm to School program to host a workshop on procurement in child nutrition and share best practices.

Across both events, one thing was clear: the momentum behind Farm to School continues to grow thanks to the dedication and collaboration of communities across California.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, shared their work, and continues to move this effort forward 💚

05/12/2026

✨ Throwback to a special visit earlier this year! ✨

Back in early January, we had the pleasure of hosting Emily and Caroline from at the Shared Plate Strategies office here in San Luis Obispo. They were in town supporting the local school district and doing the incredible work they’re known for, helping strengthen compliance in Child Nutrition programs.

We wrapped up the visit with dinner at Ebony, an amazing Ethiopian spot in SLO!

Grateful for partnerships like this and the chance to connect in person. 💚

05/01/2026

Today we celebrate National School Lunch Hero Day 💛

Behind every school meal is a team of dedicated professionals who show up early, work hard, and care deeply about the students they serve. From fueling young minds to creating welcoming spaces in cafeterias, school nutrition teams make a daily impact that often goes unseen.

Thank you to the lunch heroes who keep our schools running and our students nourished—you are truly essential.

04/30/2026

Check out this new resource from the Center for Ecoliteracy 🌱

“Growing for Schools” helps farms connect with schools and expand access to local food.

We’re proud to be included in the appendix—grateful to be part of this work!

Center for Ecoliteracy

https://www.ecoliteracy.org/download/growing-for-schools

04/23/2026

We’re proud to share that Shared Plate Strategies has signed onto this important letter in support of strengthening and protecting Child Nutrition programs.

This effort reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring all students have access to nourishing, equitable meals and the systems that make them possible.

We’re honored to stand alongside partners and advocates working toward a healthier, more just future for school communities, including supporting budget proposal for:

• $1.87 billion for School Meals for All
• $100 million for Kitchen Infrastructure and Training (KIT)
• $25.2 million ongoing for Farm to School
• $14.3 million for California’s Healthy School Food Pathway program

04/16/2026

We’re excited to introduce Tamara Masri, one of our new Project Coordinators at Shared Plate Strategies!

Tamara has been diving right in connecting with district directors and client teams, and is already making an impact. Earlier this month, she was in action facilitating a Strategic Visioning session with Castro Valley Unified Food & Nutrition Services, helping their team shape their Vision, Mission, Core Values, and Core Focus.

We’re thrilled to have her energy, insight, and leadership on board. Welcome to the team, Tamara! 👏

Castro Valley Unified School District

04/14/2026

In February, Rio Regenerative Farm in Ventura County welcomed some adorable new baby goats, and we couldn’t miss the chance to share just how cute they are! Oreo, Double-Stuff, and the newest additions have been stealing our hearts ever since.

Beyond the cuteness, these goats are an incredible educational opportunity. Students get to learn about animal life cycles firsthand and see how animals play an important role in regenerative agriculture.

And it all connects back to the bigger picture! Everything grown on the 10-acre school farm supports students and their families, either through school meals or food they can take home.

A sweet reminder of the joy, learning, and connection happening every day on the farm. 💚

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San Luis Obispo, CA
93401

Website

https://linktr.ee/sharedplatestrategies

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