This week, local elementary students in food literacy class tasted and voted on the 2016 Veggie of the Year.

The fourth annual Veggie of the Year Competition began on September 6 when the public voted for their favorites.

This week, the top five semi-finalists were brought into the elementary classroom at 4 local schools, where a team of local restaurant chefs & culinary students presented the veggies to students to taste and vote.

The ballots have been cast, and the kids have voted for…

Nopales (aka Cactus) is the 2016 Veggie of the Year

This is some cactus cool news! We are working with the SCUSD nutrition department to put this veggie on every salad bar in the district in October, and Soil Born Farms will be planting it in our joint Farm-to-School schools! We will also be making my favorite cactus guacamole recipe in schools next week to celebrate.

A cactus curtsy for our chefs:

WINNER:

• Kurt Spataro of Paragary Restaurant Group of Team Cactus

RUNNERS-UP:

• Oliver Ridgeway of Grange Restaurant & Bar of Team Avocado
• Keith Breedlove of The Culinderdy Cruzer of Team Beet
• Jay Veregge of Ten22 and The Firehouse Restaurant of Team Collards
• Suleka Lindley of Thai Basil Sacramento & VEG of Team Cauliflower

Additional chefs included teams of culinary students in the American River College Culinary Arts Program!