Superintendent Dr. Berry told the Queen Creek Unified School District governing board that the nutrition department partnered with Oatman Farms to expand "made from scratch" meals and to provide locally sourced items to students.

"Made from scratch cooking is at the forefront for the district and for good reason," Dr. Berry said while introducing a district-produced video about the partnership. The superintendent said the district would share the video with the board and noted the collaboration was featured in local media.

Dr. Berry said the district uses the Arizona Department of Education program known as Try It Local to bring locally grown foods into school menus. The district said purchases through the program can be reimbursed; staff described flour purchases for baked goods as fully reimbursed through Try It Local funds. The video accompanying Dr. Berry's remarks showed production in school kitchens and included a segment with field supervisor Diego Ortiz taking the board through preparation processes.

District leaders framed the partnership as supporting student wellness and academic performance by improving meal quality and sourcing. They did not provide dollar amounts for the program during the report, but the district emphasized that the Try It Local mechanism supports local procurement.

Board members did not take action on the nutrition presentation; it was presented as part of the superintendent's quarterly priorities update.