Harvest of the Month are Pixie Tangerines from Ojai

Ojai Pixie Tangerines are the June Harvest of the Month from the Food Services Department and will be enjoyed by students at the more than 30 schools that are on year-round schedules.

"The Pixie Tangerine comes only from this small valley high above on the lower central coast," said Vanessa Zajfen, Farm To School Specialist. "Pixie tangerines are pale orange colored, moderately juicy and always seedless."

Each month, cafeterias serve a Harvest of the Month that brings a fresh vegetable or fruit from a nearby field to our students. The Farm to School program connects schools and local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing agriculture, health and nutrition education opportunities and supporting local and regional farmers.

For the Pixie Tangerine, students will learn that it was developed right here in Southern California, Howard B. Frost at the University of California Citrus Research Center at Riverside, in 1927. They grow only in the Ojai Valley, north of Santa Barbara.

A collective of 40 small family farmers works together to meet the high demand for their tangerines. Some of the orchards are small with just a few dozen trees, while others have several thousand. Each orchard is harvested individually when the fruit is at its peak.

"We think this will be very popular with all our students," said Zajfen. "Even our kindergarteners with their little fingers can enjoy this Pixie."

For more information, go to the Food Services website at www.sandi.net/food and click on "Farm to School." The Pixie has its own website at http://www.pixietangerine.com/