Our kitchens will contain Cara Cara oranges and Rio Red grapefruits harvested from a local farmer, Dickinson's Family Farm. We work with a family-owned operation, Dickinson Family Farms, which partners with local organic farmers to create sustainability and support within the local farm community. Dickinson Family Farms partners with many organic farms within a 50-mile radius; each farm adheres to our exact standards, ensuring that the produce is of the highest quality and at its best for harvest. 

During the first week of March of 2025, Rose Elementary had the privilege of partnering with Dickinson Family Farms for a unique event-a taste test of passion fruits. Students were given the opportunity to taste and vote on their preference for the fruit. After a series of votes, the passion fruit emerged as the clear favorite among the students.

One will find Persimmons in our kitchens this school year harvested from a local farmer, Davis Farms. We work with a family-owned operation in San Diego County. Natives grew up in Encinitas. In the 1990s, Derek and his wife purchased their first avocado farm in Escondido. In 2012, they acquired their 45-acre Valley Center family farm, which grew mainly seedless Fuyu Persimmons and Hass Avocados. Since the orchard was planted in the 1980s, Derek has worked tirelessly to rejuvenate and improve the farm's sustainability by installing water-healthy solar panels and planting 400 trees.

We work with Food 4 Thought, a nonprofit organization, to bring farmer market assemblies to school campuses. Food 4 Thought visits EUSD campuses from Fresno, CA; all of the produce discussed and shared at the farmers market assembly is grown locally in Fresno, CA. The kids enjoy learning about the benefits fruits and veggies give to our bodies. At the farmer's market, students will pick fruits and vegetables to take home to share with their families.