For over a decade, Conscious Kitchen has been reimagining school food as a system that nourishes students, supports local farms, and strengthens communities. Their mission is simple but transformative: to serve 100% organic, locally sourced meals to every student in California. At Frog Hollow Farm, we’re proud to be part of this work, helping feed the next generation with food that’s good for people and the planet.

A Vision for Healthier School Food

Conscious Kitchen has built a model that goes beyond just feeding kids. They’re rethinking how school food is sourced, prepared, and served—all with a focus on equity, sustainability, and the health of kids and their communities. Their work centers on three strategic pillars:

1. Expanding Regional Farm-to-School Programs that connect local farms to school kitchens and help schools implement sustainable food programs tailored to their communities.

2. Increasing the Supply of Organic Produce by building procurement pipelines, offering logistical support, and fostering relationships between growers and institutional buyers.

3. Mentoring the Next Generation of Food Systems Leaders, empowering students and young professionals with the knowledge to create a healthier, more just food system.

A Farmer's Perspective: Working With Conscious Kitchen

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, Farmer Al, Farmer Javier, Judi Shils and Student Ambassadors at West Contra Costa Unified School District

Working with school districts and food service providers can be tough for small and mid-sized farms because institutional markets require consistent volumes and complex logistics. That’s where Conscious Kitchen comes in: they help build and sustain those relationships, advocate for farmers, and guide schools on how to serve organic food.

“Conscious Kitchen has been instrumental in providing logistical connections between farmers like me and school lunch program directors, helping us to get the food from our farm onto the cafeteria table—especially to communities where the need is greatest.” - Farmer Al

We’ve seen firsthand how Conscious Kitchen bridges the gap between growers and institutions—making it possible for farms like ours to extend our commitment to growing delicious, nutritious food that’s good for people and the planet. Their work supports a future where school children have access to fresh, organic products from their foodshed - a future we’re proud to help shape.  

Our Collective Impact

In 2024 alone, Conscious Kitchen served 867 school sites, reaching over 453,000 students with healthy, organic meals. That’s not just progress—that’s transformation, and Frog Hollow has been proud to contribute:

• In 2024, we sold 220,000 lbs of organic fruit to schools through our partnership with Conscious Kitchen.

• Since April 2025, we’ve already provided 8,950 lbs of tree-ripened apricots and cherries to six Bay Area School Districts within an hour’s drive of our farm. And we’re on track to serve even more in the months ahead!

Behind these numbers are real kids who are being fed real meals that are rich in flavor, connection, and nutrients. We are honored to be a part of a growing movement rooted in care, community, and change.

Deepening the Roots: What’s Next

Collaboration is key to success in this work. This work is collaborative by nature. It takes strong partnerships between farmers, schools, advocates, and communities to create lasting change.

Earlier this May, we welcomed a group of Northern California school food leaders to Frog Hollow Farm. They walked the orchards, learned about our growing practices, and swapped stories of both wins and challenges. We’re proud to be a place where these important conversations can happen. And in June, we’re excited to host the first of nine Conscious Kitchen Organic Farm-to-School California Road Tours, bringing together organic farmers, local school food professionals, policymakers, and local food system stakeholders to cultivate stronger connections and expand school access to nutrient-dense organic foods.

And there’s more to come—we’ll be sharing stories from districts that are making scratch-cooked, locally sourced, organic meals a reality for their students. Stay tuned!

How You Can Help

Momentum is building! But as recent federal budget cuts strain school food programs, partnerships like ours matter more than ever. Conscious Kitchen continues to lead with vision and determination, but sustaining and scaling this impact will take all of us working together to ensure every child has access to nourishing, organic food.

If you’re inspired by this work, we invite you to:

• Donate to Conscious Kitchen to keep the movement growing: here

• Partner with Conscious Kitchen if your organization shares our vision in building a better school food system: contact Judi Shils (judi@turninggreen.org)

Together, we can change what’s on the plate—and what’s possible—for school food.