Nutrition & Health

Preserve Today, Relish Tomorrow. Many of our local u-pick blueberry farms are open between late-May and mid-July. We all know blueberries are pretty expensive, but, oh, so worth the effort and expense. Here is a recipe that gets the most out of your harvest basket: Blueberry Bonanza is two recipes in…

Will your garden soil produce well? One of the best items to check is your soil pH or acidity. pH stands for the “potential of hydrogen” and is a scale that indicates whether your soil is acid or alkaline (basic). The pH scale runs from 0 to 14 with 7.0 being neutral. If your pH is below…

June bugs are among the most familiar insects of early summer. Although people commonly call them “bugs,” they are actually scarab beetles in the genus Phyllophaga. These beetles are usually brown, oval-shaped, and active at night, often flying clumsily around porch lights. Their larvae, known as white grubs…

A new Nutrition Policy Institute research brief summarizes a 2026 study: “Measuring change in school-based practices that promote children’s healthy eating and active living: A psychometric study.” This study evaluated the ability of the previously validated School Site-Level Assessment Questionnaire, or…

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 …