All sixth graders from all nine schools in the Encinitas Union School District get to spend a week at the district’s Farm Lab taking part in Salad Wars, inventing their own organic salad dressing and competing against their classmates for the honor of The Golden Fork.
In just four days, students create and mix up their dressing from scratch and come up with a marketing plan and sales pitch presentation for a of judges that includes costumes and parody songs with kid-written lyrics and choreography. The students break up into groups of jobs including copywriting, flavor specialists, chefs, event organizers and promotions.
A pair of MCs leads the presentations, cracking handcrafted corny veggie jokes (a sample: “Why did the Ranch dressing apply to a new job? Because it wanted to dip into something new.”) The students design their own logos and bottle up their dressings made with produce from the farm and additional items donated by Jimbo’s. And they even harvest fresh lettuce on the farm, drizzling on their dressing to serve up to the Salad War judges.
“Entrepreneurial DREAMS – Design, Research, Engineering, Art, Math and Science – is a competency-based learning week that sixth graders and their teachers look forward to and love!” said Farm Lab Julie Burton in a news release. “Through the creation of organic salad dressing companies, students experience the power of intentional collaborations that foster creativity and communication skills, while allowing them to share their work in a real-world context.”
Throughout the school year, all grades from every school get the opportunity to visit the 10-acre Farm Lab on Quail Gardens Drive. The certified organic farm provides the produce for the district’s farm-to-school program and s the district’s health, wellness and environmental literacy goals. Every grade level has a different focus when they spend time on the farm, from kindergartners learning about planting seeds, composting and vermiculture, to fifth graders exploring renewable energy.
For the sixth graders, there is the Salad Wars, now in its eighth year.
In addition to creating their salad dressing company, the sixth graders also study soil science and the importance of regenerative farming, testing various types of soil and learning about the role it plays in biodiversity, water retention and nutrient cycling.
“Learning about regenerative agriculture deepens sixth graders’ understanding of sustainable farming practices, environmental stewardship and the connection between soil health and the quality of our food,” added Burton. “Healthy kids, healthy planet!”
The last battle of Salad Wars 2024-25 was held on March 14 between three teams of students from El Camino Creek Elementary School who crafted the dressings Zest Fest, The Real Slim Caesar and Vibing Veggies.
On the rainy day, the presentations had to move indoors but even without the charming backdrop of the farm, and with other classmates watching via Zoom from another room, the students put on a good, high-energy show. Each team was fully outfitted in costumes— students on the Zest Fest team wore brightly colored beach and fiesta gear that complemented their dressing’s bold flavors, with a kick of cayenne. Some creatively made togas were on display on the of The Real Slim Caesar, with its logo of a gladiator and slogan of “Victory in every drop!”
“Every team did amazing,” said Principal Jodi Greenberger, who had the difficult task of serving as a judge. When she announced Vibing Veggies as the winner of the Golden Fork, the students erupted into cheers.
Vibing Veggies, with a groovy ’70s-themed marketing plan, created a dressing that combined avocado, pineapple juice and agave for a sweet, creamy and tangy taste. The salad dressing’s logo was of dancing lettuce, beet and carrot and the students promised: “Our dressing will be your salad’s new bestie.”
”I’m totally proud of our stellar company for being skilled communicators, confident collaborators and wellness advocates,” said the team’s MC, highlighting some of the district’s learner competencies. “We love veggies….Veggie vibes lead to thriving lives.”
