During its regular meeting on March 21, school board members presented a Spring ISD Point of Pride recognition to the district’s Child Nutrition Department, which was named a recipient of this year’s Farm Fresh Challenge “Best of the Bunch” Award by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA).

“Best of the Bunch marks the highest level of achievement a district can obtain in the TDA’s annual Farm Fresh Challenge,” Chief Communications Officer Shane Strubhart told trustees at the meeting, going on to explain that the Farm Fresh Challenge is part of Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s Farm Fresh Initiative to connect Texas farmers and ranchers with school nutrition programs.

Spring ISD’s Child Nutrition Department was once again awarded Best of the Bunch status for the district’s commitment to offering locally sourced Texas foods and providing educational opportunities to help students learn more about nutrition and Texas agriculture.

Attending the school board meeting to receive the Point of Pride recognition were Director of Child Nutrition Shelly Copeland; Assistant Director of Child Nutrition Kevin Truong; Nutrition Coordinator Jennifer Fasano; the department’s coordinator of operations, Sandra Campbell; and the district’s lead chef, Jovan Morales.

Throughout the month of October 2022, participating schools championed healthy foods and Texas agriculture by providing multiple Texas-grown foods as part of their weekly menus, offering agricultural education opportunities, and sharing about students’ experience on social media. 

Spring ISD has been named Best of the Bunch for seven years in a row, and was one of only 76 Texas school districts or charter school organizations to earn the honor in this year’s contest.

“The Farm Fresh Challenge is a big part of my commitment to building the next Farm Fresh generation,” Commissioner Miller said in a statement. “The annual event educates our young Texans on how healthy eating contributes to their success and the success of our hard-working Texas farmers and ranchers. I congratulate all the participating schools for their first-rate efforts to ensure a healthier future for the Lone Star State.”