Dairy farmers and blueberry farmers are visiting several Fulton County school cafeterias as part of a farm-to-school initiative, led by the district’s school nutrition program.
School leaders are trying to increase student access to healthy, locally grown foods. Each month a local food — defined as food that is grown, raised and produced in Georgia or a state touching Georgia — is featured on the cafeteria menus. The cafeteria also posts educational information about where the product is farmed and the nutritional benefits.
Alyssia Wright, executive director of school nutrition, who led the farm-to-school implementation in 2011, said the program is an opportunity for students to “connect the dots” between the agricultural process and where the cafeteria’s food is produced, according to a released statement from the school district.
In 2012-2013, Fulton County schools served over one million meals that included locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. This school year, Fulton County school cafeterias have highlighted farm fresh watermelon, apples, hydroponic bibb lettuce, cucumbers, kale, cabbage, zucchini, and strawberries.
Both dairy farmers and blueberry farmers have been visiting school cafeterias to display information about the agricultural process, where Georgia grown food comes from, nutritional benefits and how the food gets to school cafeterias.
The Fulton County school nutrition program was recognized by the Georgia Department of Education as a 2012 Georgia Best Practice Award winner for Farm to School, and again in 2013 with the Golden Radish Award by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. For more information on Fulton County School meals, visit www.fcsnutrition.com.
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