Noodles of opportunity: how an Oregon law boosted a small food business and built community

Investment in healthier, locally produced school foods gave author Lola Milholland a chance to give back to the school and Japanese American community that gave so much to her

On 14 May 2019, I went to my old school, Richmond elementary, in Portland, Oregon, for a special lunch. It was the first districtwide yakisoba day, when every school would serve wheat noodles tossed with roasted vegetables. And not just any noodles: they were from a recipe that I'd developed for the school system's 16,000-plus students who eat school lunch.

As I helped dish our noodles on to trays, I could hear excited kids lining up. Soon, to my absolute wonder, I heard them chanting, Ya-ki-so-ba! Ya-ki-so-ba!" In that moment, I felt more connected to my community than I'd ever felt before.