PA Beef Council Hosts School Foodservice Training with Avon Grove and Great Valley School Districts
Bedford, PA – The Pennsylvania Beef Council (PBC) partnered with Avon Grove and Great Valley School Districts on August 18, 2025, to host a specialized training for their school foodservice and nutrition staff, highlighting beef’s role in nutritious and appealing school meals.
The interactive training provided staff with science-based information on the essential nutrients beef provides, such as iron, zinc, and protein, that are especially important for adolescent growth and development. Attendees also received an overview of the PA Beef to PA Schools (PBPS) program, which connects schools with local beef producers and supports the inclusion of Pennsylvania-raised beef on the lunch tray.
In addition to the educational component, the training featured two live recipe demonstrations, followed by sampling opportunities. School foodservice professionals were able to experience firsthand how beef can be incorporated into student-friendly, cost-effective, and compliant menu options.
"School foodservice and nutrition professionals play a vital role in nourishing the future generation of beef consumers during a critical stage of their growth of development,” said Beth Stark RDN, LDN, Director of Channel Marketing and Nutrition Outreach, “By educating this audience on the positive impact that beef’s flavor and nutrient profile brings to school meals and arming them with practical recipe inspiration, we’re equipping food service and nutrition professionals with the tools needed to serve meals that students both enjoy and benefit from now and later in life."
This training reflects PBC’s ongoing commitment to supporting school nutrition programs across the state through education, resources, and hands-on experiences that help bring local beef into Pennsylvania schools.
For more information, visit www.pabeef.org.
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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.