Kelsey Perusse, MS, RDN, is a registered dietitian, chef, and currently works as the Director of Nutrition Services for Live Oak School District in Santa Cruz, California. Her work centers on providing nutrient-dense, scratch-made meals with the mission of “growing a generation of healthy eaters”. Under her leadership, LOSD has transformed its approach to school food—most notably through the creation of a Food Lab program, which engages students directly in meal preparation and culinary education. Most recently, Kelsey spearheaded the development of a 1.1-acre district-run farm, expanding access to agricultural education and organically grown produce for students and school meals. She is passionate about connecting the cafeteria, classroom, and farm to create a holistic food system that supports student health through culinary, nutrition, and agricultural education.