Baldwin County School District Champions GaDOE's Culinary Program to Elevate School Nutrition

Baldwin County School District is thrilled to be invited to participate in the Georgia Department of Education's (GaDOE) innovative Culinary Support Pilot Program, aimed at enhancing the culinary skills of our cafeteria staff. As we proudly stand behind the food served at all our schools, this program aligns seamlessly with our commitment to excellence in school nutrition. Baldwin is one of only nine Districts across the state selected to be a part of the program.

GaDOE Culinary Specialist John Huff expressed the purpose of the program, stating, "We want to see where they are culinary-wise, what they're already producing, and provide them with little tips and tricks that we know to help make their lives a little bit easier, make the food taste better, make things more efficient for them in the kitchen."

While the program is meant to target specific schools, BCSD was able to include its entire slate of District Nutrition Specialists to the training, allowing for all of our schools to derive its benefits. "I learned a lot," said Mattie Strickland, a Nutrition Specialist with the Early Learning Center, "This is the first time we've been able to do a training like this and I love it! I hope and pray they continue doing things like this."

Baldwin County School District has a history of culinary success, maintaining perfect 100 health inspection scores over the last three years. We have also received prestigious Golden Radish awards, some reaching the Platinum level, from the Georgia Department of Agriculture. These awards commend our dedication to farm-to-school practices. John Huff emphasized the significance of such practices, noting, "Some of the other things that we focus on was what they're already doing as far as fresh fruits and vegetables, if they already have kind of a Farm to School aspect in their school." Our district's participation in this program reflects our ongoing commitment to providing nutritious and delicious meals to our students, fostering a culture of culinary excellence that goes beyond the dining experience.