Farm-to-school leadership: a California director's 20-acre district farm wins state award
Morgan Hill Unified School District Student Nutrition Director Michael Jochner received the 2026 California Food for California Kids Leadership and Innovation Award at the Oct. 15 California Farm to School Summit. He helped develop FarmTECH, a 20-acre farm run by the district's Student Nutrition Department, with an 18-acre production farm that grows produce for school meals and a two-acre educational site where students work alongside farmers.
Why it matters for directors: A nutrition-run farm can supply meals and double as student education that builds support for the program. Start by tying one menu item each month to local or student-grown produce.
Original source: Morgan Hill Times ↗