Sprout CNP

09/02/2026

That’s a Wrap on the Summer Conference Season

Summer conference season wrapped up for SproutCNP at the CESA #11 Conference, and it was a strong one to close on.

Chef Brenda Wattles delivered our keynote, Financial Responsibility: Every Position Counts, along with two breakout sessions: Put Me in Coach: Food Production Time Standards and Work Schedules, and Measuring Productivity, Staffing, and Meals per Labor Hour (MPLH).

Every session circled back to the same idea: school nutrition programs run stronger when directors use their own data to make decisions, not guesswork. Time standards, staffing ratios, and labor hour metrics aren't just numbers on a report. They're the levers that lower food and labor costs while keeping quality on the tray.

Thank you, CESA, for the invitation and for a room full of directors and staff ready to put this into practice.

Want these strategies in your own program? Schedule a demo of our On-Demand Training Membership → [email protected]/" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://outlook.office.com/book/[email protected]/

09/01/2026

Does everyone on your team understand how their role plays into your school nutrition program's finances?

From the kitchen to the central office, every position affects food and labor costs, whether staff realize it or not. When that connection isn't clear, small inefficiencies add up fast.

SproutCNP's keynote, Financial Responsibility: Every Position Counts, brings your whole team into that conversation. It's built to help staff at every level see how their day to day work ties directly to your program's bottom line.

Want to bring this keynote to your district or conference? Contact us here: https://sproutcnp.com/contact/

08/24/2026

A few weeks ago, Chef Garrett led a K–12 culinary training at Apex High School in Wake County Public School System, where participants learned from chefs, broke into teams to tackle different recipes, plated and presented their creations, and got to try it all together for lunch. 🍽️

And because no graduation is complete without a little fun… they wrapped up with a Chef Ambassador pledge, certificates, and a conga line! 💃🕺

From hands-on learning to celebrating new skills, it was a great day in the kitchen! 👏✨

WCPSS Child Nutrition

08/17/2026

A little behind-the-scenes look at Chef Cyndie, Chef Garrett, and Helen Smith in action! 🎥👩‍🍳👨‍🍳 They recently joined Urban School Food Alliance Executive Director Dr. Katie Wilson, incoming Executive Director Jeremy West, and Jill Kidd to film a new series of training videos designed to support school food professionals.

08/12/2026

¡Nos encanta escuchar directamente a los profesionales de nutrición escolar que se unen a nosotros para recibir capacitación culinaria práctica! 🌱

En el evento Utah Farm to School, los participantes tuvieron la oportunidad de aprender, practicar nuevas habilidades y conectar con otros profesionales junto a los chefs Cyndie y Andy.

¡Escucha a una participante contar su experiencia en la clase! 🎥👩‍🍳

08/11/2026

What makes a great training? Skills you can actually use when you get back to the kitchen. 👏

That’s exactly what participants experienced during Chef Cyndie and Chef Andy’s classes at the Utah Farm to School event. From hands-on knife skills to new recipes, the goal was to give school nutrition professionals practical tools they can put into action.

Hear directly from one participant about what she loved most! 🎥🔪

08/10/2026

Bringing local foods to school cafeterias, one recipe at a time! 🌱

Chef Cyndie and Chef Andy had a wonderful time joining school nutrition professionals from across Utah at the Utah Farm to School event. School nutrition teams from around the state prepared Utah Harvest of the Season recipes featuring locally grown ingredients while sharing ideas and inspiration for bringing fresh, local foods to students.

Thank you to everyone who made this event such a success and for your continued commitment to connecting students with fresh, local foods! 🍎🥕

08/07/2026

Chef Brenda grew up on her family's potato farm, so getting to talk with school nutrition professionals about Washington potatoes at this year's Washington School Nutrition Association conference was personal.

Stopping by the booth, you could talk with a local farmer, pick up standardized potato recipes, grab some potato swag, and get access to SproutCNP's free Knife Skills Course.

If you missed us at the booth, you can still get the course — no cost, no catch.
👉 Download the free Mini Knife Skills Course here: https://learn.sproutcnp.com/courses/mini-knife-skills

Washington State Potato Commission

08/07/2026

A huge thank you to the Washington State Potato Commission for sponsoring Chef Brenda Wattles to speak at the Washington School Nutrition Association's session last week.

Chef Brenda presented on Effective Kitchen Forecasting and Ordering to Manage Food Costs including practical strategies school nutrition professionals can put to work right away to reduce waste, tighten inventory, and protect their bottom line.

Grateful to the Washington Potato Commission for investing in school nutrition professional development, and to WSNA for the invitation.

08/04/2026