Courtesy of San Benito High School:
With support from the Grower-Shipper Association Foundation, and Tony and Cathy Alameda of Top Flavor Farms and Sabor Farms, San Benito High School on Nov. 12 celebrated the opening of a new salad bar in Room 391 – a former French classroom located just behind the Visual and Performing Arts Building.
In thanking the association and the Alamedas for their support ahead of a ribbon-cutting ceremony, San Benito High School Food Services Director Jim Lewis said he is proud that the school is adding to its fresh and healthy food options for students, who have enjoyed a salad bar – along with a yogurt and fruit bar – in the main campus cafeteria for the past two years.
“The response was good” to that salad bar opening, Lewis said, “but it’s really grown through the efforts of my outstanding crew and the word getting out.”
District Superintendent Dr. Shawn Tennenbaum said that “student nutrition is now a pivotal part of our mission” on campus, which serves 11,000 healthy meals each week, including offering an after-school supper program so any student can get free meals that they may eat on campus or take home. He thanked the food service staff for “revolutionizing how, where and what we provide our students each day. We are extremely excited to celebrate this historic milestone with you as we strive to provide all students and staff with nutritious and healthy food choices on campus.”
Tony Alameda told the crowd of staff and students Tuesday morning that “it’s music to a farmer’s ears to hear a salad bar being stocked, so thanks for the opportunity you availed us by contributing this natural fit of a salad bar promoting the products that we do right next door.”
Adding salad bar options on a high school campus “is a great fit for the community,” Alameda said, thanking the Grower-Shipper Association for its partnership and indicating that “this is what we love to be doing. I hope everybody enjoys it and you eat the heck out of those veggies and pass the word.”
