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Opportunities & Engagement
Announcing the 2026 Texas Fruit & Vegetable Day Contest Winners
By TASN | May 2026
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The Texas Association for School Nutrition, in partnership with the Texas Department of Agriculture, is excited to announce the winners of the 2026 Texas Fruit & Vegetable Day Contest.
This year, TASN received 29 submissions from school districts across Texas, nearly double the number received in 2025. The strong response highlighted the care, energy, and dedication school nutrition teams brought to celebrating Texas agriculture and helping students connect with fresh, locally grown foods. Through cafeteria celebrations, taste tests, displays, and hands-on learning, districts used Texas Fruit & Vegetable Day as a meaningful way to support healthy habits and showcase the value of school meals.
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First Place
McLeod ISD
McLeod ISD earned first place for its thoughtful and engaging “Rooted in Texas” celebration, which connected students to Texas-grown vegetables, local agriculture, and healthy eating in a hands-on way. The district’s submission stood out for its strong student engagement, creative use of Texas produce, and clear connection to the purpose of Texas Fruit & Vegetable Day.
In the week leading up to Texas Fruit & Vegetable Day on April 17, McLeod ISD built excitement by decorating the cafeteria with colorful displays featuring root vegetables grown in Texas and where they are commonly grown across the state. Students also completed root vegetable coloring sheets, which were displayed outside the cafeteria as part of the celebration.
On Texas Fruit & Vegetable Day, the district carried the theme into the meal experience by featuring turnip greens sourced from a local grower at the Gateway Farmers Market in Texarkana. The greens were used in student-taste-test recipes created for the event, including “Turnip Two-Step” and “Crispy Roasted Greens with Bacon,” giving students a chance to try Texas-grown produce in a fun, approachable way.
The taste test also opened the door for a broader conversation about local agriculture and healthy eating. Students learned about buying locally, supporting Texas growers, and the health benefits of “eating the rainbow.” They also participated in a “Guess Your Veggies” sensory challenge, where they identified Texas produce by touch. Two students won small garden starter kits, helping extend the lesson beyond the cafeteria and reinforcing the connection between school meals, agriculture, and student wellness.
McLeod ISD sourced turnip greens from a local grower at Gateway Farmers Market.
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The taste test featured creative menu items, including “Turnip Two-Step” and “Crispy Roasted Greens with Bacon.”
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Students sampled Texas-grown vegetables and participated in hands-on learning activities.
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The “Rooted in Texas” cafeteria display helped students connect vegetables to Texas agriculture.
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Grand Prize
As the first-place winner, McLeod ISD will receive an all-expenses-paid trip, sponsored by the Texas Department of Agriculture, for two child nutrition staff members to visit Common Market Texas farms. The trip will include farm tours, opportunities to connect with growers and industry experts, travel, meals, and accommodations.
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Second Place
Beeville ISD
Beeville ISD earned second place for its districtwide “Growing Strong Texas Trojans” celebration, which brought Texas Fruit & Vegetable Day to life across multiple campuses. Led by the Beeville ISD Child Nutrition Department, the celebration highlighted fresh produce, healthy habits, Texas agriculture, and the important role school nutrition programs play in student wellness.
The district’s submission stood out for its overall quality, strong student engagement, and wide-reaching approach to celebrating Texas-grown fruits and vegetables. Across Beeville ISD, students took part in themed campus activities, hands-on learning opportunities, colorful produce features, and cafeteria promotions designed to make Texas foods fun and approachable.
Campus highlights included a strawberry costume and Texas fruit bar at A.C. Jones High School, vibrant fruit cups at Moreno Jr. High School, fruit- and vegetable-themed staff participation at RA Hall Elementary School, carrot and corn balloon displays at Fadden-McKeown-Chambliss Elementary School, and a Texas grapefruit Easter Bunny visit at Hampton-Moreno-Dugat Early Childhood Center. Beeville ISD also spotlighted Texas-grown produce through farm and vendor connections, including strawberries from Poteet, grapefruit from Edinburg, cherry tomatoes from Marfa, spring mix from Belton, romaine lettuce from Pleasanton, red cabbage from Hondo, and Texas English cucumbers.
Together, these efforts helped students connect school meals with Texas agriculture, fresh foods, and healthy choices in a fun and memorable way.
Beeville ISD’s celebration showcased campus activities, student engagement, fresh produce, and staff participation.
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A.C. Jones High School highlighted a Texas Fruit Bar as part of the districtwide celebration.
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Second-Place Recognition
As the second-place winner, Beeville ISD will receive one complimentary registration for the 2026 TASN Annual Conference.
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Third Place
Culberson County-Allamoore ISD
Because of the strong participation and high quality of Texas Fruit & Vegetable Day Contest submissions this year, TASN and the Texas Department of Agriculture are also recognizing a third-place winner. Culberson County-Allamoore ISD earned third place for a welcoming cafeteria celebration that encouraged students and staff to explore Texas fruits and vegetables in an interactive way. Their submission reflected strong effort, thoughtful planning, and a clear commitment to promoting healthy habits through school nutrition.
In the days leading up to Texas Fruit and Veggie Day on April 17, the Food Service Director built excitement through daily announcements inviting students and teachers to participate. On the day of the celebration, the cafeteria featured five stations: a tasting bar, a Texas beverage bar, a potato bar, a salad bar, and a fruit bar.
The five-bar setup gave students several ways to try fresh foods, including potatoes, veggie cups, fruit cups, salad ingredients, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, tajin, chamoy, and Sarah Farms milk. The district also brought student leadership into the event by having the baseball team serve food and encourage their peers to try Texas fruits and vegetables.
Together, these efforts created a thoughtful cafeteria experience that connected students with fresh foods, encouraged participation, and made Texas Fruit and Veggie Day meaningful for the school community.
Students visited the cafeteria stations and sampled Texas fruits and vegetables.
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The baseball team helped serve food and encouraged other students to participate.
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Third-Place Recognition
As the third-place winner, Culberson County-Allamoore ISD will receive one complimentary registration for the 2026 TASN Annual Conference.
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Thank you to all the districts that participated in this year's contest and helped celebrate Texas agriculture with students across the state. Each submission reflected the creativity, care, and dedication school nutrition teams bring to creating meaningful experiences for students through school meals.
TASN is proud to recognize all 2026 submitting districts:
Alief ISD
Alpine ISD
Austin ISD
Beeville ISD
Carrizo Springs CISD
Channelview ISD
Crosby ISD
Culberson County-Allamoore ISD
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD
East Central ISD
Garland ISD
Harlingen CISD
Houston ISD
La Porte ISD
Leander ISD
Magnolia ISD
McLeod ISD
Medina Valley ISD
Pasadena ISD
Plano ISD
Pleasanton ISD
Rio Grande City Grulla ISD
Rio Hondo ISD
Rockdale ISD
San Elizario ISD
Santa Rosa ISD
Tatum ISD
Willis ISD
YES Prep Public Schools
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We are grateful for the energy and participation these districts brought to Texas Fruit & Vegetable Day, and we look forward to celebrating this work again next year.
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TASN President-Elect John Ceballos and Executive Director Lindsey Jost attended the TSAE CEO/Volunteer Leader Workshop in Fort Worth.
