School Nutrition Goes Behind the Scenes at a TX Cattle Ranch

Just like the students they serve, school nutrition professionals appreciate the opportunity to see firsthand what goes into producing the healthy, local food served in school meals. Recently, the Garland ISD Student Nutrition Services team joined school districts from across North Texas for an educational tour of Cox Ranch in Poolville, Texas. Hosted in partnership with the Texas Beef Council and Don Lee Farms, the tour provided insights and interactive learning opportunities.

The group toured the ranch’s cattle pastures while learning about herd management and how high-quality Black Angus cattle are bred and raised. Advanced breeding practices, including artificial insemination and genetic selection, are utilized and careful daily care is taken to help maintain herd health and meat quality.

The visit included a hands-on Grilling 101 session with the Texas Beef Council. After learning about grilling techniques, food safety protocols and best practices for preparing beef, participants put their new skills to work by grilling their own steaks for lunch.

“Getting to learn the techniques and then grill our own steaks made the experience both fun and memorable,” said Seon Ervin, Menu Coordinator for Garland ISD Student Nutrition Services.

Beyond the ranch experience, the tour provided an opportunity to connect with agricultural partners and other school nutrition professionals. Ervin said these firsthand experiences can help school nutrition teams share meaningful stories with students about where their food comes from.

“The value of a firsthand understanding of the agricultural partners supporting our meal programs is essential,” she said. “We can advocate more for school nutrition and share authentic stories with our students about where their food comes from.”

The experience gave the Garland ISD team new knowledge, fresh ideas and a deeper appreciation for the efforts behind the local foods served in school meals. They plan to bring what they learned back to their team and use it to help students and families better understand where their food comes from and the value of quality ingredients on their menus.