Who better to tell the story of a visit to Whole Grain Challenge Winner, Baker School District, than the Guest Chef herself, Coleen Donnelly.  She and Chef Mike Holleman, both of Indian Harvest, dedicate themsleves to delivering healthy and delicious whole grains to a variety of foodservice operators, and graciously offered their expertise to our Challenge winners.

In my role as K-12 Corporate Chef for Indian Harvest, I meet a lot of the big names in the school lunch world who are influential in creating change. I am also lucky enough to meet some of the lesser known directors who approach school meals from a different angle. These individuals are crucial to fueling change in our school lunch programs, and although they exist all over the country, it’s rare they are recognized for their efforts. Jessica Wickert is one of those directors. She runs a very small (1,600 student) district and doesn’t have corporate funding or a PR budget. But she is making a big difference.

Jessica is the Food Service Director in Baker City, OR and the winner of the 2012 Whole Grains Challenge. Her philosophy is one of education and student involvement. She runs a Grain-of-the-Month program and holds recipe contests featuring the current month’s grain. The winning recipes gets a slot on the menu, giving the students some ownership of the menu, in addition to exposing the nutrition services staff to new foods.

We were lucky to work with Jessica a few weeks ago in Baker City. Last year she contacted the Whole Grains Council (WGC) asking for some marketing materials so she could educate her kids on all the varieties of whole grains she would be featuring. It wasn’t long into the call when the WGC Team encouraged Jessica to enter the Whole Grains Challenge. Jessica fit into the “rookie” category in which a district has recently begun incorporating whole grains into their menus. The grand prize included an array of whole grain products and a whole grains workshop with Indian Harvest. Jessica’s district won! And her reaction was heartwarming, “What a great thing to share with my community!”

Michael Holleman (Culinary Director at Indian Harvest) and I flew to Boise, rented a car and took a breathtakingly beautiful drive through Idaho and Eastern Oregon to Baker City. We stayed at the Geiser Grand, a 124 year old landmark hotel that told tales of the small town’s history. In the morning, we gathered in the culinary arts kitchen with Jessica and her staff. We were also joined by Louise Rasmusson, the director in Halfway, Pine Eagle School District (who drove 1 ½ hours for the workshop) and two food service employees from a local adolescent substance abuse center. There were 14 in all, not including Jessica’s mother who stopped by and offered to run out for some ingredients I had forgotten, bless her heart!

We cooked and talked for 2 ½ hours. Michael and I demonstrated 5 whole grain dishes that are being used in schools across the country. We made Sunrise Blend Apple Yogurt Parfaits, Wheat Berry and Black Bean Salad, Buffalo Chicken and Barley Salad, Black Pearl Medley Chicken Fried Rice and Whole Grain 5 Blend Beef Chili (using beef that is donated to the district by local ranchers!). We told stories and shared information about the challenges of school lunch that everyone in the country faces. It was a casual and informal setting. The conversation continued as we sat and ate lunch. Everyone enjoyed the dishes and thought the kids would as well.

Jessica grew up in Baker City and attended school in the district. After graduating, she left town for culinary school and pursued a career in restaurants and ski resorts. When she learned of the Director job opening back in her hometown, she thought she could make a difference. After landing the the Food Service Director position, Jessica began learning the challenges and intricacies of the National School Lunch Program. Now in her second year as director, she is forging a new path for her students and is, indeed, making a difference.

While we were cleaning up after the demonstration, one of Jessica’s staff who stayed to help, Debbie Dean, commented on the work that other districts are doing. She said that until our conversation that day, she hadn’t realized that there was so much change happening. “I thought Jessica was the only one pushing for healthier foods,” she said as she separated cans for recycling. Then, “We used to throw these in the trash before Jessica got here, not anymore!”

There is a new generation of directors affecting communities both large and small. Some do it quietly with their heads down, some make a lot of noise. All should be recognized and applauded. Thank you, Jessica, for welcoming us into your world, keep up the good work!