Written by: Abby de Riel

In 2019, Wellness in the Schools piloted its WITS CookCamp training program in California, working with Alan Downing, Director of Nutrition Services at San Rafael City Schools. Five years later, our work in San Rafael continues with yearly CookCamps to the city’s approximately three dozen school cooks who serve 7,000 students. And now, San Rafael City Schools is proudly 40% scratch — an extraordinary goal reached through persistence and positivity! 

Over the years, our CookCamp training and follow-up support have helped Alan and his kitchen team develop the culinary skills necessary to implement new scratch-cooked recipes — from knife skills with vegetables to efficiency in preparing ingredients in advance — as well as serving as continued inspiration that it is possible to feed kids real food. And every year, Alan is with us in encouraging his staff that they can do and be better as a team, for their students. 

We introduce you to Alan in a lightly edited interview below.

Tell us a little about yourself. Where did your background in school food begin? 

Food has been a part of my life as far back as I can remember, growing up in a divorced household — one side with the means and the other side not so much. I discovered the importance of school food as a child. All aspects of my family were and are involved in the food industry. I was working in a bakery as early as 12 years old. After my family sold our bakery, I naturally transitioned into working in the school food industry. 

What inspires you to lead San Rafael City Schools? What are some of the unique aspects or challenges of this district? 

The inspiration to show up to work daily is knowing we are helping the students and families of our district. Some unique challenges over the years for San Rafael City Schools have been outdated and run-down kitchen facilities. Over the last five years, through the help of taxpayers in Marin County, our district has passed four bonds to update our facilities. Without the new kitchens, we would be unable to change our menus to support scratch cooking. 

Why did you first request Wellness in the Schools’ CookCamp in 2019? 

San Rafael City Schools had been in contact with Wellness in the Schools as early as 2017, but we determined that it wouldn’t be viable for our district at the time. In 2019, I wanted to change what we were doing as a district as new kitchens came online. I needed the support of Wellness in the Schools to help train our kitchen staff, create simple recipes and scratch-cooked menus, and set up a long-term plan to do what is right for our students and families. 

What scratch cooking techniques and recipes have you been most excited to work with us to bring to your district? 

I can’t tie it to one recipe or technique, but I can say that the confidence that has been taught to our staff has been immeasurable. When I started in San Rafael, all of the staff wanted to provide more nutritious food, but did not have the skill set or facilities to make it happen. Wellness in the Schools has helped train my staff from the most basic to advanced techniques in our kitchens giving staff the confidence to tackle any menu. 

How does ingredient procurement work in your district? How do you procure all of the produce needed, locally and seasonally, for a high volume of scratch cooking? 

Like all schools operating the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), all purchases must follow guidelines provided by the USDA. We are part of a cooperative of nine school districts that go out to bid yearly on food and non-food items. The addition of multiple grants has allowed San Rafael City Schools to purchase more local California products. The cost of local products is significantly higher, but the grant money has allowed us to procure the items over the last three school years. We are a high-volume scratch cooking district, which means three elements are essential: time needs to be spent setting up with vendors who can provide local products, we need to forecast the needs of upcoming menus, and we need to ensure that the menu stays consistent for the three different cooking facilities that we have here. 

What stands out most to you about our partnership together in the past school year? 

The direct support provided to me as a Director — having Wellness in the Schools as a thought partner is invaluable. And, the training provided to staff has allowed me to increase our scratch menus. The two go hand in hand. 

Your district is over 40% scratch now. What made this your original goal? What’s next for your district? 

The original goal was to improve our menu, improve staff skills, and keep lunch participation high. It has taken a long time to get to where we are now, and with the addition of the California Universal Meals Program, we are constantly adjusting (and adding) labor to support the menu and increased lunch participation. What’s next? We’ll continue to make small changes to the menu as staff become confident in the recipes they are making and their culinary skills.