New Amador school farm begins supplying salad bars; Medi‑Cal collaborative funds dental screenings pilot

District and county staff celebrated the Feb. 24 ribbon cutting for the new Amador school farm and reported early results at the March 11 board meeting.

Superintendent and cabinet members described partnerships with local organizations and a land trust to operate the farm on protected land. Fiscal staff and nutrition services leaders said the farm has already harvested and distributed hundreds of pounds of mixed greens to at least five school campuses and that the district plans to more than double planted acreage in the next planting round.

The board previously approved a new 'farm lead' position inside Nutrition Services to scale the project beyond a pilot; administrators said hiring is underway and that the farm could host classes and field trips next year.

Separately, Stephanie Hess, the Amador County Office of Education health and wellness coordinator, gave an update on a Medi‑Cal collaborative project that used funding to bring oral‑health counseling, dental cleanings, sealants and silver diamine fluoride to school sites. Hess said the program served 103 elementary students, with consent‑return rates shaping access, and noted that funds for the pilot have been exhausted with one remaining scheduled school day.

Board members praised the school farm as a potential model for hands‑on learning and nutrition improvements and asked staff to develop plans for field‑trip logistics, classroom integration and measurement of food‑service impacts.