Community Foundation Helps Community Roots Transform School Food in Nevada County

Nevada County students are one step closer to fresh, high-quality school meals thanks to a  fiscal sponsorship agreement with the Community Foundation that will allow Community Roots to fast track fundraising for a new culinary center.

The logistics of serving fresh, healthy food to 10,000 Nevada County students are challenging. In 2022, local school food service leaders, administrators, and community partners decided to address this challenge. They came together to create a Joint Powers Authority (JPA), a legally established organization that enabled multiple districts to collaborate. Community Roots School Food Services Agency was the result -- an independent public agency dedicated to providing high-quality school meals. Community Roots operates as its own entity, functioning as a centralized food service provider for participating districts.

The Community Roots collaboration will benefit our community in multiple ways, expanding access to fresh, nutritious meals for students, increasing purchasing power for high-quality ingredients, and strengthening local food systems by supporting regional farmers and producers. A key part of this vision includes the Community Roots Culinary Center, a central facility designed to streamline production and distribution of scratch-cooked school meals.

All of this takes money. By entering a fiscal sponsorship agreement with the Community Foundation of Nevada County instead of spending time and resources on the complex process of establishing a nonprofit, Community Roots will be able to immediately direct their efforts toward expanding access to fresh, nutritious school meals. “Fiscal sponsorship provides us with financial oversight, credibility, and access to funding opportunities while freeing us to build strong programs and partnerships,” said Sam Koneffklatt, Executive Food Services Director for the Nevada County School Food JPA. “It also gives us the flexibility to refine our operations before deciding whether to transition into an independent nonprofit in the future. This approach allows us to start making an impact now while ensuring a sustainable, thoughtful path forward.”

To bring this vision to life, Community Roots is actively seeking funding opportunities to support the startup costs and construction of the Culinary Center, including public and private grants, community partnerships, and other fundraising efforts. 

These funds will support critical investments in school meal infrastructure, including:

• Capital Improvements for the Culinary Center – Developing a modern centralized kitchen with the necessary infrastructure and equipment to enhance meal production, efficiency, and quality.

• Staff Training and Workforce Development – Providing hands-on training for school food service teams to transition successfully to scratch cooking, ensuring meal quality and program sustainability.

• Upgrading School Serving Sites – Improving school kitchens with essential equipment and facility enhancements to support fresh meal preparation closer to students.

• Delivery Fleet – Investing in sustainable, energy-efficient delivery vehicles to optimize logistics, reduce carbon emissions, and ensure efficient meal distribution across our rural school districts.

While these initial investments are critical, their long-term financial model is designed to be self-sustaining, funded primarily through government meal reimbursements. This ensures that once operational, Community Roots will continue to provide high-quality school meals without relying on ongoing outside funding.

With support from the Community Foundation, Community Roots is building a scalable, sustainable school food system that not only improves student health and learning but also strengthens local agriculture and the broader community.