WARSAW — In a back to basics focus, WCS Food & Nutrition Services is turning over new soil in preparation for a seedbed of change, plowing forward, but still looking to the past for direction. Three key components in cultivating this change include increasing farm to school practices, incorporating cleaner label products and creating more recipes from scratch.

Serving more than 7,000 discerning customers, planning and executing a menu within a budget that meets the USDA regulations can be a daunting challenge. Providing a nutrient analysis that meets the requirements of each meal is meaningless if the food remains on the plate and ultimately ends up in the trash.

In preparation for the new school year, WCS FNS staff will participate in a full week of training which includes a foud-day culinary workshop provided by Culinary Nutrition Associates, LLC, a leader in developing and conducting culinary trainings for school nutrition programs around the country. Catharine Powers, founder of Culinary Nutrition Associates, is the project manager and lead trainer. Chef Matthew Poling, executive chef, Weld County District 6 in Colorado, will be the chef-trainer. They are joined by Alli Johnson, a dietetic intern from Purdue University.

According to Chef Powers, the culinary workshop is specifically designed to equip staff with additional skills on preparing fresh, made-from-scratch meals by blending the art of cooking with the science of nutrition. Hands-on sessions, in addition to classroom learning, will take place each day with participants working in teams to create flavorful dishes which are then sampled by all.

WCS is very excited for the upcoming school year of inspiring and equipping students for success.