Research Brief • May 2026 • Download PDF (238 KB)BackgroundPublic health initiatives that aim to positively impact nutrition and physical activity (PA) among children and youth often focus on the school setting, with an emphasis on interventions that change a school’s policies, systems, and environment (PSE)…
Nutrition Policy Institute’s latest research brief shows that California’s School Meals for All program provides meaningful financial relief for families across all income groups. In 2022-23, California launched School Meals for All to provide free school meals to all students enrolled in public schools…
Preserve it with dehydration - dried herbs make a great fair entry! Your hearty, perennial herb garden should be recovering and rebounding from the winter by now. How about dehydrating some of those and entering them in the county fair? Or create a mix of several dried herbs for a special blend – and…
Eaten raw as a young leafy green, or sautéed as a mature stem & leaf, Chard is an easy-to-grow vegetable that is among the most versatile. It’s also known as Swiss Chard (though the plant originated in the Mediterranean.) Growing in the rainbow-colors available adds a visual pop to any vegetable …
Lettuce is a very popular vegetable, and can be grown spring through fall in the Tahoe Basin. Lettuces come in a wide variety of reds and greens and can add a beautiful element to an edible garden. Many varieties can be harvested on an as-needed basis, making for a very convenient source of fresh…
Reduce fruit float when canning fruitFruit Float is the term used when produce separates and floats to the top of the jars.There are a few things that can be done to avoid or reduce fruit float when canning fruit:Use Firm Ripe Fruit. Firm fruit has less air trapped in it than ripe fruit. It also absorbs less…
The USDA recommends preserving enough for one year. We should all have an annual habit of checking our inventory of preserved foods. The USDA recommends we preserve enough food for one year. Why is one year recommended? Here are a few reasons: In one year, another crop will be available for…
Keep perishable food safe by observing the room temp time limits. One of the basic maxims of food safety is keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Not keeping perishable food hot enough (at or above 140°F) or cold enough (at or below 40°F) allows bacteria to multiply quickly, causing the food to…
Make your altitude adjustments. Did you know that at altitudes over 1,000 feet above sea level, you need to make adjustments to your canning procedures? When boiling water or steam canning, processing times need to be lengthened. When pressure canning, pressure needs to be increased. Why? Because as…
There are 31 reasons to follow safe food handling procedures. Bacteria and other microorganisms (such as parasites and viruses) are everywhere. They’re in the soil and water, they float through the air, they’re on plants and are in and around animals, and they’re even on people. The good, the…
