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Food with Mark Bittman: First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom

What California got right about school food.

Published October 5, 2026

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On this week’s episode of Food with Mark Bittman, Kate and I interviewed First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

Listen to Jennifer Siebel Newsom on Food with Mark Bittman

We talked with Jennifer about what actually happened when the state decided every public school kid deserves two free meals a day — and that more than half of those meals should come from California farms. It sounds like a policy conversation, but it’s really a story about scratch kitchens, nacho bowls, salad bars, fountain milk, and what it looks like when someone decides to treat school lunch like it matters.

We also covered the Farm to School roadmap Jennifer built from the ground up, how California became the first state to pass universal school meals legislation, why LA Unified now only buys local, and what it would take for other states to do the same.

A few links relevant to today’s episode:

More information about California’s Farm to School Program

More information about the 2026 California Farm to School Summit, October 14-15 in Sacramento

And, of course, Hot Lava Fudge Cakes from How to Cook Everything Kids.

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