Commissioner Sid Miller Launches Farm Fresh Push for Top-Tier School Meals (3/17/2026)

First of 10 intensive workshops kicks off at Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio.

AUSTIN – Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) have teamed up with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to elevate school nutrition across the state.

The first of ten five-day Farm Fresh Culinary workshops wrapped up last week at the CIA’s San Antonio campus. Funded by a USDA grant, the program delivered hands-on training, cooking demos, and classroom instruction to 21 school nutrition professionals—chefs, dietitians, menu planners, and kitchen managers.

Participants mastered roughly 100 fresh, nutritious recipes during six hours of daily training led by CIA-certified instructors.

“These immersive week-long sessions give our nutrition pros the time to truly master new skills,” said Commissioner Sid Miller. “They’ll return home ready to train their teams and raise the bar for school meals statewide. We’re all in to Make America Healthy Again.”

TDA selected seven school nutrition teams for the inaugural session, requiring each to send at least two members. The team approach ensures knowledge spreads quickly and changes stick when participants return to their districts.

Beyond the 10 in-person workshops, TDA will create a free online resource library to help Texas schools shift toward scratch cooking and innovative, healthy menu development.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

###