Maggie Hubbard, Nutrition Team Leader, School District of Holmen, WisconsinChange may often seem slow to come within the regulation-heavy world of K-12 foodservice. But Maggie Hubbard embraces challenges and has found plenty of ways to pivot and excel while always putting her students first.
One of the biggest shifts Maggie has championed has been the push for more locally raised food items. She has adopted a “farm-to-school” mentality, working to bring as many regionally produced goods into her school as possible. Their baked goods come from a local bakery and many of their meats come from local farms.
Sourcing different food items from local producers is certainly a positive change, but Maggie has overseen programs that take things one step further — cultivating produce and different menu items on site. At Prairie View Elementary School, students help grow peppers, tomatoes, gourds, pumpkins, kale and radishes right next to their playgrounds. The district’s high school even has one of the largest asparagus farms in Wisconsin. Produce grown at the school then finds it way into various applications in the cafeteria. Maggie is sure to label the items whenever they’re used in the salad bar, and she says, “Our students are really very open to trying new things. We do a roasted veggie pizza that’s a big hit.”
All things local come together at their annual “Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner” celebration where every single menu item has been grown or raised by the school district or sourced locally. The high school’s Future Farmers of America chapter has raised chicken, beef and pork to be served at the dinner. During the summer, they’ve blanched and frozen corn so everyone can enjoy fresh corn on the cob with their meal.
While Maggie does everything possible to use local ingredients and cook from scratch, her cafeterias are also supported by popular products from General Mills — especially at breakfast. The prepackaged cereal bowls, Pillsbury™ Frudels, Pillsbury™ Mini Waffles and other items are extremely popular with students. General Mills even had the honor of being part of the Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner menu. Maggie said, “This time we used the chocolate cake from General Mills since it was a little easier to make than our usual beet cake.”
In addition to embracing a farm-to-table business model, Maggie has also managed menu shifts to better reflect the demographics of her schools. She’s been able to bring on Hmong stir fry dishes for her diverse student body, and the meals have proven to be a hit with everyone. And it’s all just part of the job. “We’re constantly changing and developing new ways of doing things that are better for the kids,” said Maggie.
It is no question that Maggie is quite deliberate about seeing what changes work best. She keeps detailed notes on what dishes are served and the students’ reactions. “Right now, I have about nine months of data,” she said with a smile. “I really like to test different things to see what works.”
When it comes to being a leader, Maggie is all about working together like a family. “We all have our good and bad days,” she says. “But we know it’s about doing what’s best for the students, so we always keep that in mind.” She is also quick to praise her coworkers and give them credit. “They are amazing! They are always willing and able to work together whenever something out of our control comes up or if I get some ‘crazy’ idea. They ARE the reason why we’re able to do such amazing work and they inspire me to do better myself... to be better. They really are the best.”
Danielle Martell, a longtime coworker of Maggie’s, also spoke about her dedication to her students, team and community. When nominating Maggie, Danielle said, “She is willing to do whatever it takes to feed the kids in her school, as well as the community. Not only did she pivot at the beginning of the year to offer meal pickup for kids in our community and those that chose virtual learning, but also feeds over 500 kids at her location. She is a team player and is willing to do whatever it takes!” It's wonderful to know that no matter what changes come along, Maggie Hubbard will be there with her team leading the way!