As the leaves change color and the air turns crisp, Lynchburg City Schools (LCS) is embracing the season with fall flavors and nutritious eats. Read on to discover three ways our school nutrition program stood out this October.
The Crunch Heard ‘Round the Commonwealth
On Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, at 10 a.m., students and staff across Virginia bit into locally grown apples in celebration of Virginia Farm to School Week from Oct. 6-10. The “Crunch Heard ‘Round the Commonwealth” is a yearly opportunity to embrace local, seasonal produce and welcome autumn with a resounding “crunch.”
Schools throughout the division enjoyed Fuji apples from Saunders Brothers Orchard, located just 33 miles from Lynchburg. Many teachers and students even sported festive farmer outfits.
National School Lunch Week
We celebrated National School Lunch Week from Oct. 13-17. In keeping with the theme, “Taste the World: Your School Lunch Passport,” LCS served delectable dishes inspired by diverse global cuisines each day. Students started in Italy with penne bolognese, munched on chicken quesadillas in Mexico, feasted on General Tso’s chicken in China, crossed the pond for some British-style fish and chips, and returned home to the U.S. to chow down on hamburgers and hot dogs.
National School Lunch Week is a chance to appreciate the importance of a healthy school lunch to a student’s success both in and out of the classroom. LCS offers every learner free, flavorful meals featuring fruits, vegetables, whole grains, milk, and other nutritious ingredients. We’ve even partnered with professional chefs at Brigaid to level up our menus with scratch-made food, fresh and local ingredients, and innovative recipes–including year-round international favorites like orange chicken and Jamaican-inspired “Rasta pasta.”
LCS Community Dinner
On Wednesday, Oct. 15, community members, families, students, and staff gathered in the Heritage High School cafeteria to enjoy a tasty meal prepared by the LCS School Nutrition team. The event gave guests a chance to sample the kinds of foods our students are served at school.
In celebration of Farm to School Month this October, the menu featured delicious ingredients from local farmers. Guests enjoyed honey dijon chicken thighs with chicken from Joyce Farms, butternut squash mac 'n' cheese, cornbread, roasted root veggies from Lynchburg Grows, harvest salad with lettuce from Mt. Pleasant Growers, fall fruit salad, and desserts made by Heritage High School culinary arts students. They were even serenaded by a student string quartet from Heritage High.
If you missed October’s meal, don’t fret–there are two more chances this school year to taste what we’re cooking up. Mark your calendars for these upcoming LCS Community Dinners:
- Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, at E. C. Glass High School
- Thursday, May 14, 2026, at Linkhorne Middle School
