September Harvest of the Month: Plums and pluots on salad bars

The Harvest of the Month in San Diego Unified cafeterias this month are plums and pluots from Kingsburg Orchards in the town of Kingsburg, in California's Central Valley.

The Harvest of the Month program a different California-grown and/ or organic fruit or vegetable each month in our Kid’s Choice Café salad bars. Fruits and vegetables chosen are grown in San Diego County, Southern California or California by family farms.

"We have the best kids and the best farms in the world," said Gary Petill, Food Services Director. "We want California food for our California kids."

Part of a larger program called Farm to School, San Diego Unified's program connects K-12 students with local family farms so that they may eat fresh local foods in school and gain a greater appreciation for local agriculture, especially what it takes to grow healthy fresh foods. The grower this month, Kingsburg Orchard, is a farming dynasty with more than 10 family members managing the farm today and more than five generations of farming experience. The orchards are located in the San Joaquin Valley, and they qualify as one of Farm to School’s California farms.

Pluots are a sweet and juicy hybrid of plums and apricots and a great source of Vitamins C and A and fiber, that students can enjoy with plums on the salad bar on Wednesdays in September. To learn more about our programs, please visit the Food Services website.