May 2, 3 & 4, 2013

Mushroom Pilot Program

District• Hickman Mills C-1 School District. • 1902, Hickman Mills area schools became the

first Consolidated School District in the state of Missouri.

• Over the past 100 years, the district has grown from less than 100 students to an enrollment today of 6,200 students.

• The district currently serves students within 276 acres of building sites.

District Overview

• 8 Elementary Schools• 1 Middle School (6th-7th)• 1 Junior High School (8th-9th) • 1 Senior High School (10th-12th)• 2 Special schools• A comprehensive gifted program• An early childhood center• An alternative school

Ethnic Diversity

• 78% African American• 10% Caucasian• 8% Hispanic• 2% Asian• 2% Multiracial

Economic

• $24,000 is the median income for the Hickman Mills community.

• 17% of all residents are living at poverty level or below.

• 86% of all students qualify for free and reduced school meals.– Offers Breakfast, Lunch, Supper and Summer

Feeding

The Team

• Ms. Leah Schmidt, SNS–Director F&N Services

• Ms. Grennan Sims, RD, LD –Nutrition Education Coordinator

• Ms. Barb Scott• Manager, Truman Elementary

• Ms. Aaron Woods• Manager, Symington Elementary

The Schools

Method

• Modify two current recipes to include mushrooms• Create the two products on first day with

the two managers • Sample each of the two recipes at the two

elementary schools• Spaghetti with beef and mushroom sauce• Taco salad with beef and mushrooms

Shredding Mushrooms

Shredded Mushrooms

Blending

Boiling the Beef

Drained Ground Beef

Beef with Mushrooms

The Sampling

• Portions samples into 4 oz. soufflé cups

• 350 samples of each recipe

• Served the Taco Salad with a new whole grain “scoop” chip

• Served the spaghetti with a spork if they did not have one

Results Beef & Mushroom Taco Salad

Truman Elementary Symington Elementary

• Liked: 93%• OK: 4%• Dislike: 4%

• Like: 342• OK: 13• Dislike: 14

• Liked: 86%• OK: 7%• Dislike: 7%

• Liked: 244• OK: 19• Dislike: 20

Results Beef & Mushroom Spaghetti

Truman Elementary

• Liked: 44%• OK: 15%• Dislike: 40%

• Liked: 113• OK: 39• Dislike: 103

Symington Elementary

• Liked: 45%• OK: 23%• Dislike: 31%

• Like: 156• OK: 79• Dislike: 108

Takeaways

• Spaghetti sauce recipe needed to be revised based upon feedback from the kids on the surveys

• The mushrooms in the sauce were not the issue

• Spaghetti as an entrée had low participation• If you serve “scoops” kids will eat anything out

of them and love it!

Takeaways

• Kids tell you what they think• Sampling works• Sampling requires time, effort and staff but is

well received by students as a means of introducing new or modified entrees

• Sampling also places you on the front line for all sorts of comments regarding school meals

Resources Provided

• Media Presentation on Fun Facts and Nutrition on Mushrooms

• Modified district’s recipes to include mushrooms

• Worked with staff on including mushrooms operationally

• Worked with staff on sampling of items

Mushroom Fun Facts

Hickman Mills, MO

Media Presentation