Melissa Kingen Brings Beef, Education, and Local Pride to PA Schools Through PA Beef to PA Schools
Kingen and her husband, Tim, along with children, Morgan and Luke, own and operate M & L Farm in Waterford, Pennsylvania, where they raise registered Hereford and Black Angus along with crossbred cattle. Their herd, which includes more than 35 head of beef, is carefully managed to prioritize animal health, quality genetics, and responsible stewardship. The farm also raises corn, soybeans, and hay, enabling the family to produce much of their own feed and maintain a closed-loop operation.
“Our focus is raising a healthy herd and providing a quality product,” Kingen said. “We keep our heifers, breed them back, and work to do things the right way.”
From the Farm to the Cafeteria
In addition to her work on the farm, Kingen serves as a regional manager with The Nutrition Group, overseeing 13 school districts in northwest Pennsylvania. With nearly 29 years in school foodservice, she understands the critical role school meals play for students. “For many kids, breakfast and lunch at school are the best meals they have access to Kingen said. “We take that responsibility seriously and want to make sure that the meals we serve are nutritious, appealing, and something students are excited to eat.”
That dual perspective on farming and food service made participation in the PA Beef to PA Schools program a natural fit.
The 2024-2025 school year marked the first time M & L Farm supplied beef through the PA Beef to PA Schools program, providing local ground beef to seven school districts in the region and continued into 2025-2026. The pilot effort quickly gained momentum, with smash burger events rolling out across participating schools. Kingen says that students responded enthusiastically.
“The smash burgers were a huge hit,” Kingen shared. “On those days, students went straight for the burgers. We heard things like, ‘These are the best burgers we’ve ever had’ and ‘Can we have these every day?’”
“For many kids, breakfast and lunch at school are the best meals they have access to Kingen said. “We take that responsibility seriously and want to make sure that the meals we serve are nutritious, appealing, and something students are excited to eat.”
Kingen believes fresh, local beef plays a key role in moving schools toward more scratch cooking and away from more heavily processed foods.
“Beef is flavorful, versatile, and easy to build meals around, from burgers to pasta with meat sauce,” she said. “It allows us to cook from scratch, add spices, and create meals kids genuinely enjoy.”
The 100% Black Angus beef supplied through the program also sparked curiosity and conversation among students.
“We set up displays, talk with kids, and explain that this beef came from a local farm, sometimes within 10 miles of their school,” Kingen said. “They’re impressed by that. It changes how they think about food.”
“When kids see cows in a pasture and connect that to the hamburger on their tray, it clicks,” she said. “That understanding that food can be many things at once: local, fresh, and raised right in their backyard, that’s what means the most to me.”
Education is at the heart of Kingen’s passion for the program. A longtime 4-H family, Kingen’s two children, Morgan and Luke, began showing livestock at a young age. Both are college graduates in the education field with Morgan working as an Early Intervention Specialist for the IU5 and Luke a Secondary Math Teacher at Seneca High School in the Wattsburg Area School District.
“It’s so important that kids understand where their food comes from,” Kingen said. “Beef doesn’t come from a plant. Cows eat corn and hay. Food doesn’t just appear, it comes from farms, from people in their own communities.”
Whether speaking at school board meetings, staffing informational tables at school events, or engaging with families at fairs, Kingen sees every interaction as an opportunity to build awareness.
“When kids see cows in a pasture and connect that to the hamburger on their tray, it clicks,” she said. “That understanding that food can be many things at once: local, fresh, and raised right in their backyard, that’s what means the most to me.”
A Model for Community Connection
As a longtime member of the Pennsylvania Beef Council, Kingen credits fellow producers and mentors for encouraging her involvement and helping bring PA Beef to PA Schools to northwest Pennsylvania. “This program has shown how powerful local partnerships can be,” she said. “When producers, schools, and communities work together, everyone benefits, especially the kids, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Through her work on the farm and in schools, Melissa Kingen is helping ensure students across Pennsylvania are not only well-fed, but better informed—one meal at a time.
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To learn more about PBPS contact Nichole Hockenberry, PA Beef Council Executive Director at [email protected] or 1-888-4BEEFPA.
The Pennsylvania Beef Council is a producer-controlled and funded organization, which administers the Beef Checkoff Program in Pennsylvania. The Beef Checkoff Program assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. Checkoff revenues may be used for promotion, education and research programs to improve the marketing climate for beef.