Blog

We Are Springfield

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 17:28:52 GMT

Rooted in Springfield as SPS graduates, former students, and parents, we are deeply committed to serving Springfield students, because this isn’t just where we work, it’s our community, our families, and our future.

Culinary & Nutrition Center (CNC)

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 17:46:31 GMT

Our 62,000 square-foot culinary and nutrition center, located on Cadwell Drive in Springfield, opened in April 2019. Through Springfield’s Emergency Action Plan, our entire building can be run by generator so we’re able to answer to any emergency. We served over 9 million meals to Springfield students and families during the COVID-19 pandemic -- because serving our students is our priority.

Our facility features state-of-the-art equipment that allows for the creation of diverse, scratch-made dishes like meatballs, breakfast pockets, chicken sausage, and dinner rolls, all introduced to SPS students in 2021. Our team actively seeks student feedback and incorporates it into menu adjustments, ensuring that student preferences are well-reflected.

Recipe for Success

at Springfield Public Schools

Our Home Grown Springfield program, in collaboration with Springfield Public Schools, is built on the understanding that access to adequate nutrition can transform a student’s academic journey. Our mission is to eliminate student hunger by improving the quality, sustainability, and efficiency of child nutrition programs in our schools and community.

Our Goals:

● Enhance the quality of food served to our students

● Boost student participation in food programs

● Expand student learning opportunities

Through interactive facility tours, student-led surveys, and hands-on recipe development, we empower students to take an active role in shaping their school meals while fostering a deeper connection to nutrition and sustainability. As a result, we continue to increase student meal participation and demonstrate our commitment to sustainability and local sourcing, with 25% of food costs spent on New England-sourced food items.

At Home Grown Springfield, we're fueling students' learning one meal at a time.

The Student Experience:

Celebrating Creativity and Talent

Home Grown Springfield is dedicated to enhancing the K-12 student experience and fostering a love of cooking among young students. The Future Chefs Competition empowers children to express themselves through cooking and instills lifelong habits of healthy eating. The students learn about nutrition, healthy food choices and cooking techniques by participating in a good-natured cooking competition.

Students from Springfield Public Schools (Massachusetts) annually submit healthy food recipes to display creative culinary skills, helping engage them in friendly competition. The recipes are judged based on taste, healthiness, kid friendliness, originality, ease of preparation, plate presentation, and student chef presentations. The emphasis on judging criteria helps students develop essential cooking skills and encourages them to think critically about food choices.

The Future Chef Competition is a continuous celebration of students' creativity, talent, and delicious food! Students bring their best dishes to the table, displaying their skills and passion for cooking. Our team is always inspired to see the creativity on display, promote healthy eating, and engage students in learning about nutrition through hands-on experiences. Congratulations to everyone involved for their inspiration, hard work, and commitment in supporting this event. Here’s to more Future Chefs in the making! Keep spreading the passion for healthy cooking!

Free school meals for all Springfield Public School students!

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 12:50:51 GMT

For Immediate Release

Free school meals for all Springfield Public School students!

For the 2025-2026 school year, Springfield Public Schools will provide universal free breakfast and lunch to enrolled students under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). These meals are provided at no cost to the students or families. Additional meals, including after-school snack and dinner programs will also be available to eligible students at participating schools.

Springfield Public Schools participates in several USDA Child Nutrition Programs, including the National School Breakfast, National School Lunch, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable, at-risk Child and Adult Care Feeding, and Summer Food Service Programs. Household applications are not required to receive free meals, but applications may be distributed by the school to collect household income data for other programs that require this information.

For additional information please contact:

Springfield Public Schools

Attention: Timothy Gray, Food Service Administrator

75 Cadwell Drive Springfield, MA 01104

Phone: 413 787-7111

Email: grayt@springfieldpublicschools.com

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: USDA Discrimination Complaint Form, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant's name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1) mail:

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant

Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence

Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

2) fax: (833) 256-1665 or

(202) 690-7442; or

3) email: program.intake@

usda.gov

(August 22)

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Free Summer Eats Meal Program Launches in Springfield to Support Local Youth

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 15:15:49 GMT

Free Summer Eats Meal Program for Kids & Teens

Springfield, MA - June 13th, 2025

With the school year ending, free Summer Eats meals will begin soon on Monday, June 23rd, in Springfield! All kids and teens 18 and under can eat meals for free; no sign-up is required, and no questions are asked. Just visit the Summer Eats sites throughout the summer at the time listed on our website.

This summer, kids and teens eat free at meal sites throughout Springfield! Kids and teens must be present to receive a meal and are required to eat on-site. Many sites will host fun, kid-friendly activities throughout the summer! For more information on fun activities and to track down our food truck, follow Home Grown Springfield on social media @homegrownsps or visit our website at www.homegrownspringfield.org/summereats.

"We're excited to kick off the Free Summer Eats meal program in Springfield," said Home Grown Springfield’s Student Engagement Manager, Karly Dunn . “Our summer meal locations and activities are designed to keep students engaged and connected even when school is out. The Summer Eats program is about more than just food and fun, it's about helping our kids thrive all summer long.”

Summer Eats – Free Meals for Kids & Teens

Home Grown Springfield, the Culinary & Nutrition Program of Springfield Public Schools, will make and distribute Summer Eats meals across the city this summer.
Each summer, Home Grown Springfield’s Summer Eats program lessens the summer hunger gap by increasing access to free meals for kids and teens.
Home Grown Springfield provides lunch Monday through Friday for children and teens 18 and under at no cost. No registration or identification is required.

“Food has a special way of bringing people together, and we’re proud to make every bite count this summer,” said Home Grown Springfield Executive Chef, Andrew Hall. “Not only are we offering free summer meals daily all over Springfield, but each week, kids and teens 18 and under can look forward to food truck gatherings and community cookouts in the park, featuring fresh, seasonal menus and family-friendly activities.”

Chase the Flavor: Follow the Summer Eats Food Truck

From June 23rd to August 15th , the Springfield Summer Eats food truck will hit the road, bringing nutritious meals directly to the community during the early days of the summer. The vibrant food truck will make daily stops at Forest Park, Blunt Park, Kenefick Park, and Marshall Roy Park to serve lunch. The service will run Monday through Thursday. For more information on serving times, visit www.homegrownspringfield.org/summereats.

New North Citizens’ Council Back to School Community Kickoff: Roberto Clemente Field, Springfield

Join NNCC and Home Grown Springfield at the annual back to school community kickoff event Friday, August 15th! From 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., come by Roberto Clemente Field for fun games, outdoor activities and a free grilled meal for all youth ages 18 and under as we get ready for another great school year.

Are you a community organization looking to become a meal site for summer 2025? If an organization is interested in becoming a meal site for summer 2025 or if you have questions and want to learn more about the program, call 413-787-7111.

About Springfield Public Schools

The Springfield Promise: Springfield Public Schools are world class learning environments that produce 21st century leaders. Students will graduate from high school College and Career ready. The school district attracts knowledgeable, highly effective and diverse teachers and principals who want to work in a high performing district. Parents and community members are moving into Springfield for the privilege of sending their students to schools that are thriving in a culture of equity and proficiency.

About Home Grown Springfield

Home Grown Springfield is the food service program of Springfield Public Schools, which works to make the highest quality school meals for Springfield students. Home Grown Springfield seeks to continually improve the quality of school meals by making culturally relevant, scratch-made foods and utilizing local ingredients whenever possible. By providing nourishing meals for students and expanding learning opportunities through farm-to-school programming, we seek to fuel academic achievement in and beyond school. Sodexo is the contracted service provider for Home Grown Springfield, bringing quality of life services to the Springfield Public Schools community.

Contacts

Lydia Rodriguez, Director of Operations & Communications

413-787-7111 ext:66139

Lydia.Rodriguez@Sodexo.com

Andrew Stratton, General Manager

413-787-7111 ext:66105

Andrew.Stratton@Sodexo.com

New England Dairy Article by Sam Lavelle

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 17:33:05 GMT

Celebrating Farm to School in Springfield: Connecting Students to Local Food

In October we celebrated National Farm to School Month by visiting the team at Springfield Public Schools. Andrew Stratton, General Manager for Home Grown Springfield’s food services partner Sodexo, gave us a tour of their Culinary Nutrition Center where we saw firsthand how they use fresh, local ingredients to make school meals for Springfield students.

Welcome to Home Grown Springfield

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 23:03:51 GMT

Nurturing Minds and Bodies with Fresh, Local Goodness

In a world where nutrition and education go hand in hand, Home Grown Springfield stands as a shining beacon of innovation and dedication to our children’s well-being. Nestled in the heart of Springfield, Massachusetts, this remarkable initiative has revolutionized the way we think about school meals, bringing farm-fresh ingredients and culinary excellence to our students' plates.

At the core of Home Grown Springfield is the Culinary and Nutrition Center (CNC), a state-of-the-art facility that embodies the spirit of sustainability, health, and community. The CNC is not just a kitchen; it’s a hub of creativity, education, and nutrition, all rolled into one.

Our Goals:

● Enhance the quality of food served to our students

● Boost student participation in food programs

● Expand student learning opportunities

At Home Grown Springfield, we're fu eling students' learning one meal at a time.

Free school meals for all Springfield Public School students!

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 13:55:48 GMT

For Immediate Release

Free school meals for all Springfield Public School students!

For the 2024-2025 school year, Springfield Public Schools will provide universal free breakfast and lunch to enrolled students under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). These meals are provided at no cost to the students or families. Additional meals, including after-school snack and dinner programs will also be available to eligible students at participating schools. Meals will be made available for enrolled Springfield Public School students learning remotely with more information available soon.

For additional information please contact:

Springfield Public Schools

Attention: Timothy Gray, Food Service Administrator

75 Cadwell Drive Springfield, MA 01104

Phone: 413 787-7111

Email: grayt@springfieldpublicschools.com

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf,USDA Discrimination Complaint Form, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant's name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1) mail:

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

2) fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

3) email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

A quiet revolution has been taking place in Springfield’s school kitchens. And the students are eating it up.

Tue, 28 May 2024 12:16:06 GMT

By Francie Lin Globe Correspondent, Updated May 28, 2024,

SPRINGFIELD — School lunch is ready for its close-up.

Those who grew up in the ‘80s might remember school lunch as a dreary parade of mushy canned vegetables and such dubious entrees as “American chop suey,” but for a new generation of students in Springfield, at least, a quiet revolution has been taking place in the city’s school kitchens.

On a recent Friday morning, Andrew Stratton, the general manager for Home Grown Springfield , the city’s public school meals program, opened a door marked “Bakery” in the Culinary Nutrition Center.

“This is a really good smelling room,” he said, as the scent of warm banana bread enveloped us. The bakery scene was Willy Wonka-esque, with full-body-sized mixers churning batter for the muffin of the day (whole-grain banana chocolate chip) while an extractor transferred batter to the muffin depositor, which doled out 12 even portions simultaneously into paper cups, and workers transferred paper pans to cooling racks before sending them through the wrapping machine to be individually packaged.

The Culinary Nutrition Center, the district’s central kitchen, produces from-scratch meals for more than 29,000 students a day, across more than 65 schools. Built with $21 million of funding through government and private sources, and unveiled in 2019, the 62,000-square-foot facility is snappily efficient, a low-lying modernist facility that includes a cook-chill room with six giant kettles; three individual blast chillers; a large blast chill room; a 1,000-plus pallet warehouse, and shipping area with six docks; a training and innovation room with a full kitchen; a catering kitchen for school and city events; and a meat processing room, in addition to the full-scale bakery, which also produces its own empanadas and calzones.

Those industrial-sounding numbers belie the thought and care with which the staff plan, prepare, and develop menus for a city in which 85 percent of students are considered economically disadvantaged. The city contracts with the international food service company Sodexo to manage its public school meals program, with an eye toward sustainability and local food networks, but Home Grown’s staffing is hyper local.

Stratton, who has a nutrition degree from UMass and is himself from Springfield, has been working in school nutrition in Western Massachusetts for more than 20 years. Despite this, his enthusiasm for his job remains undimmed when discussing how they’ve managed to move from instant to fresh mashed potatoes. Or how the pizza served in the schools is made with locally grown wheat sourced through One Mighty Mill in Lynn, and topped with house-made marinara. Or how, for Breakfast in the Classroom — in Springfield, unlike in other districts, offered all the way through high school — they’re able to provide kids with fresh breakfast sandwiches in addition to the muffins.

“Our focus is on making more things from scratch, utilizing as many local ingredients as possible, and then engaging students so they know where their food is coming from,” Stratton explained, pointing out that making things like cheese sauce and breakfast chicken sausage in-house allows them to control fat and sodium content as well as customize dishes according to student feedback.

Stratton notes that other big school districts, including Boston and Philadelphia, have sent representatives to tour the culinary center in order to spark ideas of how to implement a program of similar reach and quality in their own cities. But at least some of Springfield’s success has as much to do with relationships as it does with capital improvements.

Relationships with farms like Czajkowski Farm in Hadley provide local butternut squash and potatoes for fresh mashed, while the program also partners with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts ’s organic farm, also in Hadley, to purchase half of the farm’s product each year. (Springfield students periodically go on trips to its fields to see the produce being planted for their meals as well.)

Other relationships aim to give students a personal investment in their menus. In addition to its food service staff, Sodexo employs an outreach team that conducts daily touch-table conversations in school cafeterias as well as monthly taste test and wellness events, and both in-person and digital student surveys. The finalists for this year’s annual Stir-It-Up event — a student recipe contest for middle and high school students — appear on Home Grown Springfield’s Instagram account bearing the white toques and confident smiles of celebrity chefs.

The result of all that time and effort is an ecosystem in which student requests for more plant-based choices recently resulted in a marinara with vegan crumbles on the menu — by all accounts well-received, even by meat-eaters — as well as a school lunch program that is about more than nutrition.

Last year, according to Stratton, students from the Springfield Renaissance school sent Sodexo staff and the superintendent letters after doing a sustainability study in an environmental science class. The students were part of Home Grown’s Student Ambassador program, which allows students monthly opportunities to explore a topic related to their school meals, and teaches them how to voice feedback and make requests in an effort to cultivate student communication and leadership skills.

“They noticed we were using foam trays,” said Stratton. “A lot of school districts use that as a cheap way to plate items and focus more on the food.”

The students “did a very professional presentation to our group,” he said, while the Sodexo team gave the students information on the cost of the food and trays, promising them that, “while we didn’t have a fix right then, we would continue to work on the issue with them over the summer.”

Eventually, Stratton found a compostable tray that was affordable; the Renaissance students were part of the unveiling of the pilot use of the trays. But the trays, despite being compostable, were still being thrown away. This year’s Student Ambassadors at Renaissance and Central High have now focused on getting a composting program started in their schools.

“It’s student-driven, so they’re kind of educating each other on how to dispose of things,” said Stratton, adding that the collaborative problem-solving model has been a great learning experience. “They understood where we were coming from, because we gave them more information,” he said. “There was understanding on both sides.”

Such understanding shows up in other ways at Home Grown, including in the kitchen itself. As Stratton led a tour of the cook and chill room, house-made sofrito churned in another full-body sized mixing bowl. A third of Springfield’s population is Puerto Rican, and many of the food service staff are Springfield public school parents, according to Abby Getman Skillicorn, who served as the youth engagement manager in Springfield for five years.

“They’re like, ‘Nope, you got to add more of this or that,’” she said. Their internal feedback on a dish in development leads to tweaks that eventually make their way onto the trays of Springfield students.

Skillicorn, who now works for the nonprofit Massachusetts Farm to School , characterizes the success of the program as a reflection on the success of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act . That 2012 legislation paved the way for schools to provide free school breakfast and lunch to all students in low-income areas like Springfield, with the city reimbursed for all meals served — money that is then reinvested in the meal program as part of a virtuous circle that encompasses the local economy as well as the students’ well-being.

As the saying goes, however, food isn’t food unless you eat it. The sample muffin Stratton gave me was tender and sweet without being cloying or gummy, and after my tour of the CNC, I drove down the road to see lunch in action at Central, a magnet school with an enrollment of 2,000 students. Central’s principal, Thaddeus Tokarz, told me that school meal participation has risen from 50 percent in 2022-23 to 79 percent this year, which he attributes to the quality of the food.

The students I polled seemed to agree. Bella Bruno singled out the nachos with the homemade cheese sauce as a favorite, while Samuel Claudio called the chicken sandwich “top-tier,” and Jacyion Cox, citing his desire to be healthier given his involvement in sports, said he usually gets the salad, or the pizza.

All three were good-natured about giving feedback to a nosy reporter in the middle of a busy lunch period. I asked Karly Dunn, the current student engagement manager, if it’s always so easy to involve the kids on the topic of food.

“It’s really about relationship building,” she said, noting that consistent presence in the schools has made a significant difference. “Students have that trusting relationship with us. It starts off a little bit difficult. But once you start to know people, it’s so easy.”

More Than 37 Million Meals Served!

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 14:22:10 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 5, 2024) – Sodexo, a leader in serving and providing meals to students across the U.S., and Springfield Public Schools announced the fifth anniversary of Home Grown Springfield, a dining program dedicated to sourcing locally, providing quality food options and addressing student hunger among PreK-12 students. Funded in part by the city of Springfield, the program’s 62,000 sq.-ft centrally located culinary and nutritious center has generated more than 37 million meals and increased meal participation by 81 percent since 2019.

“Home Grown Springfield is a groundbreaking endeavor, revolutionizing K-12 dining in a way that’s never been done before,” said Joe Smith, Regional Vice President for Sodexo At School. “We’re making 5 to 7 scratch options a day for students, and ultimately, providing a culinary experience you don’t find in a typical school cafeteria. Additionally, this initiative demonstrates an enormous commitment to sustainability and waste reduction, local sourcing – with 25 percent of food costs spent on New England sourced food items -- and increasing meal participation.”  

Home Grown Springfield is redefining school meals with a commitment to made-from-scratch cooking and baking. From scratch-made falafel to scratch muffins, more popular with students and healthier than the typical prepackaged variety, the district’s central kitchen is home to students, staff and community food favorites found nowhere else. In addition to made-from-scratch dishes, Home Grown Springfield proudly sources ingredients locally, including corn tortillas made from locally grown corn, lettuce from Little Leaf Farms and pizza dough from One Mighty Mill.

"Our top priority is ensuring students receive the nutrition vital for a productive learning environment," said Tim Gray, Food Service Administrator for Springfield Public Schools. "The Home Grown Springfield culinary innovation brought forth by Sodexo emphasizes student well-being, delightful taste and positive impact through practices like local sourcing. Springfield Public Schools is committed to creating a safe, clean, nurturing environment and these decisions are unequivocally beneficial to both our educational ecosystem and the broader community."  

With a commitment to making an impact, Home Grown Springfield works to eliminate student hunger within the district. Recognizing that poor nutrition and skipping meals has long term effects on students and academic performance, Sodexo and Springfield Public Schools have a goal of 90 percent student meal participation by 2025.  

"This is why we emphasize preparing food from scratch including recipes like Chef Drew Hall’s Italian meatballs, a cherished family recipe. Our focus is on creating meals that not only align with nutritional needs but also resonate with students' preferences, making them appealing choices for consumption and fueling them to perform academically,” said Sophia Papulis, Registered Dietitian for Sodexo. “That’s something we’ll never compromise at Home Grown Springfield.”  

One Mighty Mill Pizza!

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 19:31:17 GMT

New Scratch Made Pizza Served in your School!

Home Grown Springfield worked with local vendor One Mighty Mill in Lynn, MA , to transform pizza crust at lunchtime. Scratch-made pizza crusts start with stone mills grinding local wheat into whole-grain flour.

This new development enhances our partnership with OMM: we procure their whole wheat bagels for breakfast, too.

The NEW pizza will be phased into SPS schools in the Fall and into the Winter of SY23-24.

Compostable Trays

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 16:39:26 GMT

New Compostable Trays Heading to your schools!

Press Release

Home Grown Springfield - Students from the environmental science program at Springfield Renaissance School have collaborated with Home Grown Springfield, the culinary and nutrition program of Springfield Public Schools, to instigate a significant change in the school meal experience. The 9th-grade representatives conducted thorough research, developed a comprehensive proposal, and presented it to the Sodexo team in June 2023, advocating for the implementation of biodegradable trays instead of the existing Styrofoam trays .

Focusing on environmental impact and waste reduction, Renaissance students joined forces with Home Grown Springfield, Sodexo, RISE Academy, and Van Sickle Academy representatives in October to garner support for the initiative across the campus. These discussions align with the mission of Home Grown Springfield, Sodexo's Student Ambassador Program, which encourages students to voice their opinions on school meals, fostering meaningful change within their school communities.

Karly Dunn, Student Engagement Manager at Home Grown Springfield, Sodexo, emphasized the importance of student influence, stating, "Students are most likely to participate in a program on which they have direct influence. We are proud to support and encourage student feedback."

Home Grown Springfield, Sodexo, in alignment with Springfield Public Schools’ Portrait of a Graduate initiative, supported the proposal by analyzing the operational costs associated with transitioning to compostable trays , including labor and federal meal reimbursement rates. After careful consideration of student research and capabilities, Home Grown Springfield, Sodexo has officially announced the transition to compostable trays at the Van Sickle/Renaissance campus starting this fall.

John Donovan, environmental science teacher at Renaissance School, praised Sodexo's approach, noting, "Students are generally excited when they receive a generic email thanking them for sharing their thoughts with an outside organization, so for Sodexo to come in and speak to them directly like adults and spend as much time as they did was really impactful."

The new compostable trays will be unveiled by students and representatives from Springfield Public Schools and Home Grown Springfield, Sodexo, during a celebratory rollout event on November 9th, 2023 at the Van Sickle/Renaissance Campus located at 1170 Carew St., Springfield, MA.

Springfield Public Schools reaffirms its commitment to creating 21st-century leaders and ensuring students graduate college and career-ready. Home Grown Springfield, the food service program of Springfield Public Schools, continues to enhance the quality of school meals, fostering academic achievement and a culture of equity and proficiency.

Media Contact: Lydia Rodriguiez ( Lydia.Rodriguez@sodexo.com)

Free school meals for all Springfield Public School students!

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 11:53:00 GMT

For the 2023-2024 school year, Springfield Public Schools will provide universal free breakfast and lunch to enrolled students under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). These meals are provided at no cost to the students or families. Additional meals, including after-school snack and dinner programs will also be available to eligible students at participating schools. Meals will be made available for enrolled Springfield Public School students learning remotely with more information available soon.

For additional information please contact:

Springfield Public Schools

Attention: Timothy Gray, Food Service Administrator

75 Cadwell Drive Springfield, MA 01104

Phone: 413 787-7111

Email: grayt@springfieldpublicschools.com

1) mail:

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

2) fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

3) email: program.intake@usda.gov

Chef Tips Episode 02: Grilled Cheese, Yes Please!

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 17:16:00 GMT

Watch our chef's transform the basic Cheese Sandwich into a creative and delicious Grilled Cheese Sandwich! Tune in next week for another fun grilled cheese video and be sure to share your favorite school meal transformations!

Meet Our Rebecca Johnson Grab-N-Go Team

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 17:32:00 GMT

Meet Brenda, Carmen, Cynthia, Juan & Ester our amazing Grab-N-Go Team serving meals at Rebecca Johnson Elementary School. Let's thank them for their ongoing commitment to bringing fun to families while serving the students of Springfield. Combined this team has over 60 years of service with Home Grown Springfield & Springfield Public Schools! WOW!

Visit them during Grab-N-Go Meal Service on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays from 2pm-6pm

Chef Tips E01: Grilled Cheese

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 17:48:00 GMT

Tasty Tour Episode 4: Oh My, Macaroni!

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 13:06:00 GMT

Meet our Homegrown Staff - Scott Aubuchon

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 12:44:00 GMT

Home Grown Spotlight E02 - Meet Our Facilities Engineer Scott Aubuchon! Scott is our district's Facilities Engineer at the Culinary & Nutrition Center. Watch the video to learn more about his role with our district and Home Grown Springfield.

Tasty Tour Episode 3: Muffin Mania

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 13:20:00 GMT

Learn about how our from scratch muffins are prepared right here in Springfield at the Culinary and Nutrition Center.

Meet our Homegrown Staff - Erika Norwood

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 16:12:00 GMT

Meet Erika Norwood!

Erika is our district's registered dietician. If you've ever called the district to inquire about dietary accommodations such as food allergies- chances are you might have spoken to her over the phone.

Watch the video to learn more about her role with our district, Sodexo and Homegrown Springfield.

Tasty Tours Episode 2: Thanksgiving

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 14:42:00 GMT

Learn about how Thanksgiving meals will be prepared right here in Springfield at the Culinary and Nutrition Center using butternut squash from Joe's Farm in Hadley, Massachusetts.

Tasty Tours Episode 1: Ziti and Meatballs

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 13:25:00 GMT

Learn about how the ziti and meatballs meals on our menu are made right here in Springfield at the Culinary and Nutrition Center!

Fall Grab-N-Go Meal Service (English | Spanish)

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 12:28:00 GMT

Learn when, where and how you can pick up healthy school meals, safely, during remote learning at meal sites across the district.

Aprenda como, cuando y donde puedes buscar comidas escolares saludables y de modo seguro durante el aprendizaje remoto en lugares de recogido a través del distrito.

Back to School Food Service

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 16:49:00 GMT

Our commitment to provide take-home meals for our students continues. Take a look at how we are safely preparing meals at our Culinary Nutrition Center right here in Springfield. Check out our service hours and locations here .

Locally Grown Lettuce in Springfield Public School Lunches | Connecting Point | Feb. 3, 2020

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 13:24:00 GMT

The following is an article / video recently done which highlights one of the local vendors we use for our lettuce in our Springfield Public School food service.

Springfield Public Schools is participating in a Free Breakfast and Lunch program

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 19:02:00 GMT

Springfield Public Schools is participating in a Free Breakfast and Lunch program for the 2019-2020 school year. This alternative is referred to as the Community Eligibility Provision. Enrolled students may participate in the School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program at no charge. Household applications are not required to receive free meals, but applications may be distributed by the school to collect household income data for other programs that require this information.

For additional information please contact:

Springfield Public Schools

Attention: Timothy Gray, Food Service Administrator

75 Cadwell Drive

Springfield, MA 01104

Phone: (413) 787-7111

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form , (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html , and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov .

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Jeff’s Granola Announces New Partnership with the Springfield Public Schools

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 18:33:00 GMT

From left to right: Mike Grey, Sodexo, VP; Aaron Lenart, Sodexo, Exec. Chef; Jeff Greim, Jeff's Granola, Founder CEO; Katherine Tapp, Jeff's Granola, Executive Asst.; Joyce LeSieur, Sodexo Springfield Backpackers Program, Coordinator; Daniel Warwick, Springfield Public Schools, Superintendent; Domenic Sarno, City of Springfield, Mayor; and Norma Nunnally, Sodexo, Community Relations Manager. Photo courtesy the City of Springfield.

Longmeadow, MA – September 18, 2019 – Jeff’s Granola, a granola company using real ingredients and donating all profits to customer-selected charities, announced today a new partnership with the Springfield Public Schools System supplying healthy food to student cafeterias and giving back all profits to the not-for-profit Sodexo Springfield Weekend Backpacker Program, working to eliminate student hunger at home. Jeff’s Granola is now served in the cafeterias of all the Springfield Public Schools.

On Thursday, September 12, Jeff’s Granola Founder and CEO Jeff Greim presented an initial donation of $2,156 to the Sodexo Springfield Backpackers Program. Annual donations are projected to exceed $10,000. Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Daniel Warwick, and Manager of the Sodexo Springfield Backpackers Program Joyce LeSieur attended the ceremony. The annual donation will mark the largest donation to a single charity that has ever been made through Jeff’s Granola’s philanthropic business model.

Hunger is all too common in Springfield, Massachusetts where 76% of students automatically qualify for school meals based on household income, but school meals only provide half of all meals that students need each week. The Backpacker Program fills the gap between lunch on Friday and breakfast on Monday. During the 2018-2019 school year, the program served an average of 250 students each week with backpacks filled with high quality meals, and over 25,000 meals were distributed throughout the school year.

“We could not be more thrilled to be partnering with the Springfield Public Schools System and giving back to local school children with much-needed weekend meals,” said Jeff Greim. “Philanthropic business models offer a win-win with living wages for employees and vital funding for charitable programs. “

“I want to thank Jeff for his outstanding service to our community,” said Superintendent Warwick. “There is nothing more wonderful than corporate citizens stepping up and donating funds to help our families that have food insecurity on weekends.“

“I want to thank Jeff’s Granola for this donation,” said Program Manager Lesieur. “Donations of this size really help to sustain the program and keep it going.”

And representing Sodexo, the operator of the Backpacker Program, VP Mike Grey stated: “We believe our role here is not to just come in and fulfill our contract minimums but to support the citizens and certainly the students in the school system and to help the community move forward. So we do the Backpacker Program because we take our role as a good corporate citizen very seriously.”

About Jeff’s Granola

Jeff’s Granola is made with real ingredients and donates all profits to your favorite charities. We believe in the goodness of our customers. Whether it’s donating to your favorite local charity or organization working around the world, you choose where 100% of the profits from your purchase are donated.

Jeff’s Granola is available at the following retail locations, jeffsgranola.com, and Amazon.

BIG Y, 802 Williams St, Longmeadow, MA 01106
BIG Y, 441 N Main St, East Longmeadow, MA 01028
BIG Y, 136 North King Street Route 5, Northampton, MA 01060
BIG Y, 237 Mohawk Trail, Route 2, Greenfield, MA 01301
BIG Y, 175 University Drive, Amherst, MA 01002
BIG Y, 44 Willimansett Street, South Hadley, MA 01075
Fresh Acres Market, 1941 Wilbraham Rd, Springfield, MA 01129
Highland Park Market, 68 Bridge Street Suffield, CT 06078
River Valley Co-Op, 330 N King St, Northampton, MA 01060

Jeff’s Granola was founded in 2012 by Jeff Greim, who has over three decades of experience working and teaching in the nonprofit and public sectors. Jeff received a BA from the College of William & Mary in government, an MPPS in public policy sciences from Duke University, an MS in education from Bank Street College of Education.

Visit jeffsgranola.com to learn more.

Springfield opens Culinary & Nutrition Center

Fri, 12 Apr 2019 18:07:00 GMT

"This type of partnership is the first in the nation" culinary center in Springfield, MA, where the city, the school district, and Sodexo come together to fulfill the mission of Springfield Public Schools - eliminate student hunger.

Winning Student Brand Design, Home Grown Springfield, Revealed for New SPS Culinary Program

Thu, 16 Aug 2018 20:42:00 GMT

TaMya Romero, a junior at Putnam Academy in the Design and Visual Arts program, created the winning logo design for the new $21 million culinary program, Home Grown Springfield

The student-created name and logo for the new Springfield Public Schools culinary and nutrition program, Home Grown Springfield, was revealed recently at an event held at Putnam Vocational-Technical Academy. The winning brand was created by Putnam junior TaMya Romero, who, along with over 70 fellow students in Putnam’s Design and Visual Arts program, participated in the project to name the program. Home Grown Springfield will be housed in a new $21 million state-of-the-art culinary and nutrition facility currently under construction on Cadwell Drive.

Romero was surprised at the brand reveal event with a $1,000 prize presented to her by representatives of Sodexo, the SPS food service provider that will manage the new program. Romero will be entering her senior year next fall at Putnam and recently participated in the Art All-State competition.

Upon revealing her winning brand design, Romero said, “The idea that I got for my logo originally came from the Chili’s chain restaurant logo. I really liked the idea that they used a chili as the apostrophe, and that’s why I decided to use a fork for the ‘M’ in the name of the program.”

Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick, Springfield Public Schools’ Chief Financial and Operations Officer Pat Roach and other representatives of SPS and Sodexo joined Putnam Academy Visual Arts students who participated in the project at the event to reveal the winning design. Design and Visual Arts Program instructors Jeff Scott and Bob Farrell coordinated the project with students that included freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.

According to Mark Jeffrey, District Manager for Sodexo, “We wanted to engage the students in the branding of this program. This is their program, we want them to feel ownership of the program, and Home Grown Springfield will be the face of the SPS culinary and nutrition program for generations to come.”

Mark Jeffrey, District Manager for Sodexo, presents a $1,000 check to TaMya Romero for her winning Home Grown Springfield design.

The design project and engagement of Putnam students was initiated by Paul Robbins Associates Strategic Communications, the agency engaged to assist in promoting and engaging the school community and broader public around the new program and its benefits to Springfield students and families.

The first-of-its-kind culinary center in Massachusetts, the newly-branded program will operate in the new Cadwell Drive Springfield facility, preparing and providing meals to over 30,000 students every day. The new facility will employ 300 people once it opens in January 2019.

Sodexo has a 10-year agreement with SPS and recently won a five-year renewal, allowing for an expansion of the in-school meals program and requiring the move to new and larger facilities.

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