Region 5 ESC Child Nutrition Service

10/09/2026

🥛🌱 The Farm Fresh Challenge is underway at Ehrhart Charter School!

The Ehrhart Child Nutrition team kicked off the celebration with a creative milk display. Throughout October, students will enjoy locally sourced foods, explore Texas agriculture, and learn how food travels from farms to their school cafeteria. 🚜

Ehrhart is connecting students with fresh foods and the people who bring them to the table.

10/09/2026

🌱 Farm Fresh on the menu at@Hardin-Jefferson Child Nutrition ISD and Orangefield Independent School District!

At China Elementary in Hardin-Jefferson ISD, students enjoyed homemade spaghetti sauce prepared by the child nutrition team using locally sourced beef from Gilmore Beef and Cattle in Troy, Texas! Local squash added even more Texas-grown goodness to their trays. 🍝

Orangefield ISD also brought fresh Texas flavors to lunch, featuring Texas-grown cucumbers and butter crunch romaine lettuce served in multiple ways! 🥒🥬

That’s what the Farm Fresh Challenge is all about—supporting local farmers and connecting Texas agriculture to our school cafeterias. Thank you to our child nutrition teams for making it happen! 💚

10/08/2026

🍯🐝 🍯🌾 Sweet flavors and Texas favorites! Hardin-Jefferson Child Nutrition and Hamshire-Fannett Child Nutrition are celebrating the Farm Fresh Challenge with local foods and learning. 💚

🐝 Hardin-Jefferson’s Child Nutrition team is featuring honey from Stroope Farms in several menu items—including a Honey Chicken Biscuit at breakfast!

🍽️ Hamshire-Fannett is highlighting Texas foods and local businesses with:
🥩 Beef tips from Yellow Rose Meat Market
🍚 Texas-grown and produced Oraganic Rice from Doguet's Rice Mill
🍠 Honey-roasted sweet potatoes featuring Moore Honey Farms honey
🥒 Texas-grown English cucumbers
🥛 Hiland Dairy milk sourced from Texas

Each local feature helps students learn where their food comes from while supporting Texas farmers, ranchers, and producers.

Both Child Nutrition teams are bringing Texas flavor to the table! 🌟

10/08/2026

🌱🥗 From classroom to cafeteria, Region 5 students are growing their knowledge during the Farm Fresh Challenge!

At Woodville Elementary, Mrs. Lea’s first graders grew butter lettuce from seed in a classroom hydroponic garden donated by the Texas Department of Agriculture at MegaCon. After 35 days, it was ready to harvest!

Students combined writing and creativity with hands-on learning as they explained how to make a salad, harvested their lettuce, and prepared a salad of their own. 💚

What a delicious way to connect reading, writing, science, and nutrition!

10/08/2026

🌾🍚 Devers ISD kicked off the Farm Fresh Challenge with a taste of agricultural education!

They welcomed American Rice Growers to their school! Students learned how rice travels from the farm to our tables—and even enjoyed some fresh rice along the way.

Thank you to our local farmers for sharing their knowledge and helping our students connect with the people and processes behind their food. 🌱👩‍🌾👨‍🌾

10/07/2026

🥩🍎 Fresh flavors are taking center stage during the Farm Fresh Challenge!

Woodville ISD Child Nutrition team featured school meal paired beef tips from Pryor Cattle Company with fluffy potatoes, black-eyed peas, steamed broccoli, fresh apples, homemade hot rolls, and Hiland Dairy milk. 🍽️🥛

Local connections also bring new flavors to students—like the Texas-sized cantaloupe found with help from Dillylilly Farms at Anahuac ISD Child Nutrition!
Thank you to the farmers, ranchers, local businesses, and cafeteria teams who help make these food experiences possible. 💚

🌟 Fresh. Local. Texas Grown.

10/07/2026

🍎📚 Region 5 districts are kicking off the Farm Fresh Challenge with great food and opportunities to learn and we are only in week 1!

From Texas-grown potatoes and broccoli to fresh romaine, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini, Spurger ISD are giving students a delicious taste of local agriculture. 🥔🥦🥗

The celebration also reached families at Literacy Under the Lights! The Lumberton ISD Department of Child Nutrition team shared vegetable seeds, nutrition education books, sight word books, activity packets, and fun prizes to encourage students to learn, grow, and make healthy choices. 🌱📖

Cheers to our Region 5 districts for connecting classrooms, cafeterias, and communities through fresh, local foods! 💚

🌟 Fresh. Local. Texas Grown.

10/05/2026

Something NEW is coming!

A little fall flavor is headed to the cafeteria! 🎃🥛 This October, students can enjoy Pumpkin Spice Milk in schools for a limited time. We’re excited to bring a seasonal twist to School Milk and make lunchtime a little more festive all month long.

Learn more about our School Milk initiatives 🔗 https://bit.ly/3ZWiFBk

10/05/2026

10/05/2026

🌱🍎 October is here, and Region 5 districts are kicking off the Texas Farm Fresh Challenge with delicious meals featuring local foods! 🌱Why does the Farm Fresh Challenge matter for schools?

It connects students with fresh, Texas-grown foods and helps them learn where their meals come from! By serving local foods and sharing nutrition education, schools encourage students to try new fruits and vegetables, build healthy habits, and discover the farmers behind their food. 🚜🥗

Every local bite is also an opportunity to support Texas agriculture and strengthen connections between schools and their communities. 💚

Thank you to our Region 5 Child Nutrition teams for making fresh, local foods part of the school day!

🥗 Vidor ISD Child Nutrition at Oak Forest Elementary served colorful salads featuring Texas-grown romaine lettuce.
🍕 What's Cooking At Buna ISD at Buna ISD paired Alpha pizza with Texas-grown English cucumbers and watermelon, plus refreshing Hiland Dairy milk.
🍲 Anahuac ISD Child Nutrition at Anahuac Elementary celebrated with famous gumbo, potato salad, and fresh-cut green beans made with fresh ingredients!

Thank you to our Child Nutrition teams for bringing fresh flavors to the cafeteria and supporting Texas farmers. Way to go, Region 5! 💚

🌟 Fresh. Local. Texas Grown. 🌟