Shared Plate Strategies

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Shared Plate Strategies

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

08/15/2026

🌈 A little magic from our San Luis Obispo office…

That one time we looked outside and found a double rainbow stretching across the sky, it was practically coming out of our office! A pretty great reminder to pause, look up, and appreciate the little moments.

07/30/2026

This week we celebrate a major milestone.

California's Farm to School Program is now permanently installed with three years of funding!

This isn't just about a bill becoming law. It's about recognizing years of work by school nutrition professionals, farmers, educators, advocates, and partners who believed our students deserved meals that connect them to their communities.

We've been fortunate to witness this movement grow over the years, working alongside districts, farmers, and partners who never stopped believing this was possible.

Every local purchase, every farm visit, every new partnership, every scratch-made meal—it all helped build the case that this work matters.

We're grateful to everyone who has helped move Farm to School from an idea to a lasting commitment for California's students and farmers.

The work doesn't stop here. This landmark bill means more opportunities to strengthen local food systems, support California agriculture, and ensure students have access to fresh, nutritious food and meaningful food education for years to come.

Here's to everyone who helped plant the seeds. 🌱

Read the full article here: https://plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov/index.php/2026/07/13/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-securing-permanent-funding-for-nation-leading-farm-to-school-program-championed-by-first-partner/

07/18/2026

Tim and Eva had a great time connecting with school nutrition professionals, partners, and friends at this weekend!

From meaningful conversations to fresh ideas (and yes... Tim even came home with an Emotional Support Pickle 🥒), it was a weekend full of learning, laughter, and new connections.

Eva’s takeaway:
We loved attending talks led by our clients. Shannon Illingworth at talked about using Data and Real Food with Jiwon Jun and Mattea Kelly from . Dr. Betty Crocker at gave an inspiring session on the power of partnerships in building school meal programs. Thank you for sharing their success strategies/solutions with fellow School Nutrition Professionals. We are proud to serve these and all of our incredible clients!

Tim's takeaway:
Eva and I had a blast meeting new School Nutrition Professionals, and meeting up with old friends (here I am pictured with Melissa Manning and Caroline Olson ). Did you know you can make vegan nacho cheese with a potato base? Chef Tracy Burgio showed us how! We learned so much from Food Service Directors who are getting excellent local food into their districts!

We are grateful to everyone who took time to chat with us about how Shared Plate Strategies can work toward your goals in districts across the country. We're looking forward to putting these conversations into action and continuing to support school districts across the country.

07/08/2026

🍎 Registration for California Crunch 2026 is officially open!

Every year, schools, hospitals, and organizations across California come together for one simple but powerful moment: taking a bite of locally grown fruits and vegetables while celebrating the farmers who grow them. This year's California Crunch Day is October 7, 2026.

California Crunch is especially meaningful to us because our Founder & CEO, Ben Lucas Thomas, helped launch the program in its early days. It's been incredible to watch it grow into a statewide celebration of farm to school and local food.

If your school or organization hasn't signed up yet, now's the time! Registration includes free Crunch It! Munch It! stickers, planning resources, and educational materials to help make your event a success.

🥕 Register today: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScXV2y4Kxd2X-h_KAB4bLJX0KnQIxUO3IUHnqffN0iTOMj0-g/viewform

07/01/2026

From local fields to school meals 🌱🍎

At the California School Nutrition Association Industry Conference in Palm Desert this May, our CEO Ben Lucas Thomas joined an incredible panel to discuss how strong partnerships can expand farm-to-school opportunities and create more resilient local food systems.

The session, “From Local Fields to School Meals: Advancing Farm to School Partnerships!”, brought together diverse perspectives from across the spectrum of school food procurement. Ben co-presented with Mark Tadros, farmer and owner of The Packhouse Food Hub and Aziz Farms The Packhouse at Aziz Farms | Event Venue, and Adriana Lopez, Director of Child Nutrition Services at Menifee Union School District (menifeeusdpersonnel).
Together, they explored what it takes to connect local growers with school nutrition programs, strengthen regional food networks, and increase access to fresh, locally grown foods for students.

A special thank you to Kamilah Williams and the Menifee Union School District team for capturing and sharing these moments from the session.

FoodSystems SchoolMeals CSNA SharedPlateStrategies Ben Lucas Thomas

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. 💚

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