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Taste Buds

A branch of Copper Shores' Farm to School Pilot Program.

Taste Buds

Creating positive food experiences for a healthier future

Taste Buds brings hands-on food education into the classroom, sparking curiosity and enjoyment around fresh, nutritious foods in schools through fun, engaging and student-centered activities.

These 45-minute monthly lessons are crafted to create positive food memories, promote food exploration and build lasting confidence around healthy eating. As part of Copper Shores’ Farm to School pilot program, Taste Buds has already helped students shift their attitudes toward trying new foods, one positive experience at a time.

Farm to School students 1x1 - 3

Goals & Impact

Short-Term

  • Increase food knowledge
  • Encourage tasting new foods
  • Shift perceptions around “healthy” foods

Long-Term

  • Support lifelong nutritious food choices
  • Inspire culinary curiosity
  • Build student confidence around food decisions

What we've learned

Just one Taste Buds lesson per month can make a difference.

One of many school visits was spent getting a scope of popular produce at Houghton Elementary School by collecting data on the consumption rates of 14 items at the salad bar.

  • Most popular items: wrapped apples (129 eaten) and bagged carrots (87 eaten)
  • No waste: 11 items had zero leftovers, including green peppers (featured in Taste Buds lesson), lettuce, cherry tomatoes, peas and canned fruits
  • Moderate leftovers: wrapped apples (71 left over) and bagged carrots (21 leftover)

The data suggests strong student interest in fresh produce, particularly bite sized and ready-to-eat items like wrapped apples and bagged carrots, though they also had the highest rates of being left over. The other 12 items were less popular, but eaten at almost a 100% consumption rate.

"At the beginning of the school year, one kindergartner would literally come to class in tears because they were so afraid of trying a new food. At the last class, he tried the salad, even with the vinaigrette and black olives, all on his own. He said ‘thank you’ and gave Karyn a hug afterwards."
Meghan JaszczakCommunity Health Educator
"There was a kid who would always get the ‘yogurt lunch,’ which had multiple items including a yogurt serving, but never ate the yogurt. After being introduced to yogurt during Taste Buds, they started to eat it at lunch time. The Houghton Elementary School food director noticed that kids wanted more yogurt and updated the menu."
Karyn JuntunenFarm to School Coordinator

Planning for the future

Taste Buds will pause for the upcoming school year as we further analyze findings from the pilot program, focusing on:

Developing a teacher-friendly K–5 curriculum progression

Refining tested lessons for broader use

Strengthening partnerships with schools, staff, and families

Scalability and sustainability

Using knowledge and insights gained from Taste Buds and the overall pilot program, we aim to build a scalable curriculum that can be implemented in a variety of classroom sizes and styles throughout the community.

  • Monthly 45-minute lessons with little-to-no prep time required
  • Built to be led by teachers, paraprofessionals, substitutes, etc.
  • Self-sustaining after receiving support for implementation
  • Equitably created, optimizing the learning experience for all students, regardless of school district, background or individual needs
Kid in classroom - Taste Buds

Follow our Farm to School Pilot Program

Taste Buds is planting seeds for a healthier future - one classroom, one bite, and one brave taste at a time.
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