AUSTIN — Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller recognized the dedicated nutrition professionals and program administrators who joined the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) in Austin recently for MegaCon 2023, a three-day conference providing comprehensive training and networking for nutrition program operators in Texas. Commissioner Miller and TDA were joined by more than 900 partners representing the Emergency Food Assistance Program, Commodity Supplemental Food Program, National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Meal Programs.
“I was so proud to meet with these organizations and thank them for their service to the great state of Texas,” Commissioner Miller said. “It was also a special time for my Farm Fresh Initiative as I was able to personally thank those partners who earned recognition in the last Farm Fresh Challenge. We also had 23 new organizations sign up for the next Farm Fresh Challenge in October.”
Commissioner Miller provided opening remarks along with representatives from the USDA Southwest Regional Office including Administrator Bill Ludwig. Throughout MegaCon, CEs visited Expo booths providing information about TDA initiatives. Organizations such as the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty and No Kid Hungry also offered booths. Dairy MAX participated to provide strategies for increasing milk consumption in the programs.
MegaCon 2023 was the largest single event hosted by the TDA Food and Nutrition Division. The annual educational event provides updates on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policies and guidance for maximizing the nutritional benefits of the programs. MegaCon 2023 activities included training, networking, and collaboration. Session topics ranged from managing special diets in the National School Lunch Program to creating a business plan in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Participants returned home with valuable insight and new tools for achieving excellence in the operation of federal nutrition programs. Their hard work supports communities across the Lone Star State.
For more information about TDA’s Summer Meal Programs, please visit www.SquareMeals.org.
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–Texas Department of Agriculture
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