Chef Ann Foundation

If we want healthier meals in our schools (see ya, ultraprocessed foods), we have to get schools cooking. You can do that without a strong, supported school food workforce.

We're going live on Wednesday to talk all about it. Whether you're a concerned parent wanting your kiddos to have better breakfast and lunch options, a policymaker or advocate looking for actionable solutions, or a school nutrition director struggling to keep your kitchen staffed, this is for you.

Bring questions for our live panel and walk away with strategies and inspiration to build real capacity in your district.

- 10/7 @ 1-2 pm ET
- Free
- Recorded

👉 Register: https://ow.ly/Eqrv50ZU7VY

Jobs for the Future University of Wisconsin-Madison Azusa Unified School District

Closets and hallways should not have to double as school kitchens. ❌

We appreciate CNN for shining a light on the day-to-day infrastructure barriers too many school food departments across the U.S. face.

While we believe all schools can take meaningful steps to make the meals they serve healthier, schools cannot replace ultraprocessed foods with scratch-cooked meals if they don't have functional kitchens.

Upgrading school kitchens is a major investment. Many school food service budgets simply don't have the funds, and district administrations often can't or won't cover these upgrades from general funds that compete with other district priorities.

And as this CNN segment highlights, existing federal and most state school food initiatives are not enough to meaningfully address these challenges.

While dedicated school food teams are doing the best with what they've got, these infrastructure realities continue to hold districts — and children's health — back.

✅ Subscribe to our email list https://ow.ly/aw5L50ZTwp4 to learn about ways you can take action to transform school food.

Only one week left to apply for a Bulk Milk equipment grant!

Schools nationwide can apply for a grant package that includes a bulk milk dispenser, stand, reusable cups, dish racks, marketing materials, and technical assistance.

Bulk milk dispensers reduce packaging and liquid milk waste and improve the freshness and taste of milk being served. 🥛

Learn more and apply by October 9: https://ow.ly/OWzj50ZTCS3

Introducing the ✨Renegade Lunch Lady Store ✨

We’re so excited to announce that the doors to our brand new online store are now open!

Visit shop.renegadelunchlady.com to peruse our sustainable, screen-printed tea towels. Each towel is 100% organic cotton, screen printed in the U.S.A with water-based, non-toxic inks, and designed by an independent artist to reflect the beauty and joy of healthy, scratch-made school food.

And the best part – 100% of the proceeds help get fresh, healthy scratch-cooked school meals to kids.

Screen printing tea towels has been a tradition at the Chef Ann Foundation since our early years when we decided to thank our partners with “scratch-made” gifts. We're thrilled to now be able to bring these beautiful and sustainable works of art to kitchens across the country through the Renegade Lunch Lady Store.

We all have a right to know what's in our food. We applaud Governor Gavin Newsom for signing a new bill this week that makes it easier for Californians to be informed consumers by introducing the nation's first non-ultraprocessed foods label.

We were honored to stand with a powerful coalition of advocates who signed on in support of this bill. It's the latest in California's recent legislation to improve food system transparency, reduce ultraprocessed foods, and get more healthy meals to kids and their families.

Thank you to Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel for his leadership, and to the Newsom Administration and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom for their continued commitment to elevating healthier food as part of their holistic approach to healthcare.

Creating a healthy food system is something we have to tackle at school and at home. California is modeling how policy can help us get more fresh, nourishing meals to kids, whether they're in the cafeteria or at the kitchen table.

Grant Opportunity 📣

Last week, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched Defining Evidence for Programs to Ensure Nutrition for Development (DEPEND), a funding opportunity to help schools serve healthier meals, overcome operational hurdles, and boost scratch cooking.

Grants are available for public schools, charter schools, districts, and Food Authorities—up to 50 projects funded. Apply by October 13, 2026. You can learn more about this grant here: https://ow.ly/yAPe50ZSHIY

Apply today: https://ow.ly/VInH50ZSHJ0

A new way to support our mission to get schools cooking so they can provide fresh, healthy meals to kids is on the horizon. 👀

Stay tuned for our big announcement next week!

Congress has the opportunity to provide school districts with the funding they need to cook fresh meals from scratch and pay school food professionals fair wages.

Reintroduced by Senator Martin Heinrich and Senator Andy Kim, the Healthy Meals Help Kids Learn Act will permanently increase federal school meal reimbursement rates, giving schools more financial flexibility to invest in fresh ingredients and trained staff. With this funding, schools across the nation could start the important work of replacing ultraprocessed foods with scratch-made meals.

Take action today! Send a message to your Member of Congress urging them to pass this important bill: https://ow.ly/2yVe50ZRwBv

You can't upgrade a school menu without supporting the team behind the tray.

Real school meal reform requires workforce reform. In our upcoming live webinar, The Secret Ingredient: Building the School Food Workforce, we are moving past temporary fixes to examine systemic solutions.

What we're diving into:
💭 Latest Data 💭 research on vacancy rates, wage gaps, & training needs.
💭 Policy Solutions 💭 state and federal policies to build immediate capacity.
💭 Proof Points 💭 real-world examples of programs that transform cafeterias and careers.

Whether you're struggling with staffing, building policy, or improving school food, this session is your call to action.

👉 Register here: https://ow.ly/G41o50ZPgXn

Jobs for the Future University of Wisconsin-Madison Azusa Unified School District