By: Ananya Kumar, Communications Intern
Hispanic Heritage Month is a special time to celebrate the rich culture of the community, and this year, several National Farm to School Network (NFSN) Partners are celebrating through food, agriculture, and education. Our Partners are not only feeding students, but also connecting them to their cultural roots through vibrant, nutritious meals and interactive learning. Here’s how three of our partners are making Hispanic Heritage Month a meaningful experience for their school communities.
Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District - Pharr, Texas
In the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (PSJA ISD), located just 20 minutes from the U.S.-Mexico border, the Child Nutrition Department is combining farm to school initiatives with culturally relevant meals. With the leadership of Habraham Lopez, the district’s Agroecology & Sustainability Supervisor, the district has woven local foods into their school meals, with an emphasis on serving culturally relevant meals for the district’s large population of students with Hispanic and Latine heritages.
The school district kicked off their Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations on September 16, which marks Mexican Independence Day. In the cafeteria, PSJA ISD served popular favorites like chorizo & egg breakfast tacos, beef tamales, sopa de fideo, arroz casero, charro beans, and barbacoa tacos! These dishes, paired with decorations, music, and a spirit week including days like “Hispanic Inspiration Day” and “Go Tejano!” create an immersive celebration of culture for students and staff. “A little bit of home, especially at school, goes a long way,” Habraham reflects. Although their Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations featured special menu items, the school district incorporates culturally relevant meals year-round to serve their student demographic.
Habraham is also leading efforts to increase local procurement and coordinate school garden operations—currently at 28 school gardens across 42 campuses. Students participate in growing kale, collard greens and cauliflower, along with more familiar produce, such as varieties of chiles, tomates and cebollas. Students get to try the food they grow in fun taste tests like kale chips and smoothies, but most of the produce is given out for students to take home. This garden education not only teaches students to enjoy fresh, local foods, but also empowers them with seeing familiar culturally relevant foods both in the cafeteria and garden.
One important part of what has made PSJA ISD’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations and farm to school initiatives successful has been involving the cafeteria and kitchen staff in the process. “I’m always listening to our staff when they tell us what the kids like and what doesn’t work, because they understand the kids best and are interacting with them everyday,” Habraham told us. He’s thankful that staff have been excited and supportive of the changes of adding more local food, and his goal is always to make sure staff are supported in their work.
“The food students get at school may be the only hot meal that some kids eat. With food, it’s important that they are introduced to new items, but equally important that they see foods they eat at home.” — Habraham Lopez
Habraham reflects that serving culturally relevant meals at school is meaningful because “the food students get at school may be the only hot meal that some kids eat. With food, it’s important that they are introduced to new items, but equally important that they see foods they eat at home.” As for celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, “this might be the first time students hear about it, and it’s our obligation to show that this month is for them.”
IDEA Public Schools: Harvesting Heritage from School Gardens - Texas
IDEA Public Schools is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a focus on peppers—both in the classroom and on the menu. As part of their "Harvest of the Month," the IDEA Child Nutrition Program is featuring peppers in meals across over 100 campuses, showcasing this versatile crop with fun, educational resources and videos for students, staff, and families. Their Harvest of the Month recipe features Roasted Salsa Roja, which received glowing reviews from students in taste tests, and was on the school lunch menu in September!
IDEA Public Schools has a robust farm to school program, with farms established on campuses to grow fresh produce for students. This model has allowed the school district to hire staff through the Child Nutrition Program, who are then able to manage the farm operation and provide quality agricultural education for their students. Students get to be a fundamental part of the planting, growing and harvesting process throughout the school day.
Rocio Hernandez, the Child Nutrition Program Farm Manager at the school district, highlights the pride this brings to the community. “The collaboration between our nutrition team and IDEA Farms ensures that the crops are grown to the highest standards and delivered to our district cafeterias for our students,” she shares.
In addition to "Harvest in the Halls" events that encourage student participation through taste tests and interactive Q&As, the hands-on connection that students have with food through their campus farms to food reinforces the cultural significance of meals like those featured during Hispanic Heritage Month, while promoting healthy eating habits and local agriculture.
Edible Schoolyard Project: Teaching Heritage Through Food - Berkeley, California
At the Edible Schoolyard Project in Berkeley, California, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated with a unique culinary experience for their 8th-grade students. In their classrooms, students are learning how to make pupusas—a traditional dish from El Salvador—stuffed with black beans and served with curtido, a tangy cabbage slaw. The produce for the dish comes directly from the school garden, grown by the students themselves. This lesson is the first in a series designed for the 8th graders in collaboration with the school cafeteria, fostering both cultural appreciation and practical culinary skills in students.
Taís Reis, kitchen educator, Edible Schoolyard Project, is excited to connect students with their heritage through this hands-on lesson. The celebration extended to the cafeteria on September 25, where the pupusas were served for lunch, allowing all students to partake in the cultural experience!
Final Insights
These inspiring efforts by our NFSN Partners demonstrate the power of food in celebrating and honoring culture. From diverse meals in the school cafeteria to taste tests, agricultural education, and cooking lessons, the connection between local agriculture and culturally relevant meals is creating meaningful experiences for students, staff, and communities during Hispanic Heritage Month.
As these Partners continue to build bridges between food, culture, and education, they help students feel seen, valued, and connected to their families, identity and heritage—one meal at a time.