This issue of Nutrition Connections: Advancing the Health of School-Age Children celebrates National Farm-to-School Month and National School Lunch Week, highlighting dairy’s role in nourishing students and connecting them to California agriculture. Explore new classroom-ready resources and catch Season 2 of Let’s Eat Healthy Together—all designed to support student health and learning.
Celebrate the delicious variety of nutritious foods grown right here in our own communities and honor the farmers who make it possible.
Did you know? Dairy is California’s leading agricultural commodity, making milk and dairy foods an important part of Farm-to-School celebrations.
Dig into National Farm-to-School Month by participating
in these activities:
Farm-to-You: Dairy Activity handout:
Co-created with California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, this interactive activity highlights dairy farming, sustainability and dairy nutrition facts and is aligned to education standards. Download the handout
Mobile Dairy Classroom: Virtual Field Trips: These engaging sessions
introduce students to dairy cows, milk production, and sustainability practices, while offering a behind-the-scenes look at a working California dairy farm—complete with an interactive Q&A with a real dairy farmer. Sign up here
Shine a light on the nutritious value of school meals with the theme, Taste the World: Your School Lunch Passport. Research reinforces this message— according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children who participate in school meal programs consume more milk, vegetables, fruits and whole grains than those who do not participate. Read more here.
Kick off National School Lunch Week with these fun activities:
Let’s Eat Healthy Together - Episode 6: “Fuel Up with School Lunch”: Celebrate school meals and explore ways to reduce food waste. Watch the video
Need help determining which nutrition education resource to use with students? Check out our new Resource Recommendations landing page, highlighting our recommended nutrition education and dairy agricultural literacy resources based on grade level grouping.
Let’s Eat Healthy Together – Season 2The Telly Award-winning video series, Let’s Eat Healthy Together, is back with Season 2—created in partnership with Los Angeles Unified School District and KLCS, a PBS affiliate station. Designed for middle school students and their families, these new episodes connect healthy eating habits with everyday choices in fun and practical ways.
Watch on PBS (KLCS, Southern California)
Episodes air every Wednesday at 4:45 p.m. starting October 8, for four consecutive weeks.
Catch Up Anytime on YouTube
Following the broadcast, all episodes will be available on our YouTube channel: Youtube.com/@DairyCouncilofCA
Each 10–15 minute episode includes recipes, practical tips, and reflection prompts—making them easy to integrate into classrooms, cafeterias, after-school programs, or family learning.
The MAHA Commission released the Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy report. The report outlines a comprehensive federal response to childhood chronic disease with an emphasis on nutrition, including directing the USDA to remove restrictions on whole milk in federal school meal programs, allowing schools to serve full-fat dairy alongside lower-fat options. Read the full report.
Come and see us at these upcoming events:
Have questions, ideas or want to collaborate?
Contact Maria Frye, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Community & School Engagement Project Manager, at mfrye@dairycouncilofca.org.