Schools Selected for Georgia Grown Test Kitchen Initiative

Courtesy Department Press Office

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black recently announced the 10 schools selected to participate in the Department’s new Georgia Grown Test Kitchen initiative.

 

This year’s participants are Union County High School, Lincoln County Middle and High School, Dacula High School in Gwinnett County, Alpharetta High School in Fulton County, McClure Middle School in Cobb County, Carrollton Junior High in Carroll County, Hutto Middle School in Decatur County, Hartwell Elementary in Hart County, Bleckley County Elementary and  East Jackson Elementary in Jackson County. This new program will promote local and healthy eating in schools across the state through supplying school nutrition directors with healthy recipes using Georgia Grown commodities. 

The Georgia Grown Test Kitchen, along with the Feed My School for a Week Program, will help bridge the gap in the nutritional value and quality of food served in Georgia schools, while providing more farm to cafeteria opportunities. The end result will be healthier Georgia students, decreased barriers in farm to school efforts and increased awareness as students learn and experience, both educationally and nutritionally, where their food comes from.

“Through programs such as the Georgia Grown Test Kitchen and Feed My School for a Week, we are influencing the buying habits of nutritional directors across the state,” Black said. “We are showing the ease that comes with purchasing local products for school systems, while improving the nutritional value for students. We look forward to working with these schools this year to promote local and healthy eating in school systems throughout the state.”

 

The Department will supply the 10 schools with recipes using Georgia Grown commodities. These recipes will contain information on how to source the products used and nutritional information. In turn, the schools will provide feedback on the given recipes. The selected schools will also participate in other Georgia Grown activities throughout the year.