Applications Open for Feed My School for a Week

Courtesy Department press office

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black announced this month that the Department is now accepting new applications for school districts interested in participating in this year’s Feed My School for a Week program.

Feed My School first launched in 2011 with a goal to 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. This will be the third year of the program.

“Not only does Feed My School for a Week allow students to learn about where their food comes from, but also how it is grown here in Georgia and the process of how it ends up on your plate,” Black said. “It is about offering fresh, healthy Georgia-grown foods that are locally produced while raising awareness about nutrition.”

In addition to new school systems participating in the program this year, the Department plans to continue working with previous participants for the next three years. During this time, last year’s participating counties will continue building their farm-to-school approaches, illustrating sustainable farm to cafeteria efforts while continuing to identify needs and best practices.

 

Previous schools include Norman Park Elementary in Colquitt County, Wauka Mountain Multiple Intelligences Academy in Hall County, Bleckley County Elementary in Bleckley County, Southside Elementary in Grady County, West Chatham Elementary in Chatham County, Skyview Elementary in Bibb County, Sharon Elementary in Forsyth County and ColbertElementary in Madison County.

Applications will be due on April 3, 2014. If you are interested in nominating your school for the program, please have your nutritional director contact Misty Friedman.

Georgia Department of Agriculture Awarded Farm to School Grant

Courtesy United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service

 

The United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service announced this morning that the Georgia Department of Agriculture will receive a $100,000 Fiscal Year 2014 Farm to School Service Support Grant.

 

Hundreds of applicants across the country competed for a limited amount of funding. The overwhelming interest in this round of USDA Farm to School grants was exciting, but also made the selection process extremely difficult. The Department's application stood out among so many others because it demonstrated strong experience and readiness to conduct farm-to-school initiatives; showed that Department leaders are thinking critically about opportunities and challenges; outlined goals closely aligned with USDA's; proposed a reasonable scope and budget; and gave USDA staff confidence that the farm-to-school program will be implemented with or without continued federal support.

 

The grant funding period is Dec. 1, 2013, through Nov. 30, 2015. The Department is one of 71 projects in 42 states and the District of Columbia to receive support through this program, which is an effort to better connect school cafeterias and students with local farmers and ranchers.

 

"In rural and urban communities across the country, farm-to-school is teaching students where food comes from and how it gets to their plate, and encouraging them to make healthier food choices in the cafeteria and at home," US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said. "Farm-to-school programs are an investment in the health of our nation's children and in the vibrancy of rural economies."

 

In 2010, the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act was amended to establish a Farm to School Program to assist eligible entities, through grants and technical assistance, in implementing farm-to-school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. The Support Service Grant provides funding for school districts or schools just starting to incorporate farm-to-school program elements into their operations.

 

The grants help schools respond to the growing demand for locally sourced foods and increase market opportunities for producers and food businesses, including food processors, manufacturers and distributors. Grants will also be used to support agriculture and nutrition education efforts such as school gardens, field trips to local farms and cooking classes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five "Feed My School for a Week" Participants Selected

News release issued by the Georgia Department of Agriculture press office

 

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black recently announced the five elementary schools selected for this year's Feed My School for a Week program sponsored by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Department of Education.

 

Colbert Elementary in Colbert, West Chatham Elementary in Savannah, Skyview Elementary in Macon, Sharon Elementary in Suwanee and Southside Elementary in Cairo are the chosen schools for this year's program. The Feed My School initiative increases awareness about the importance of proper nutrition and healthy eating while assisting schools in sourcing local produce and products.

 

"The pilot program of Feed My School was such a great success that we were encouraged to expand the program to five schools across the state," Black said. "With this program, students will discover the importance of agriculture through learning about the process that brings local produce and goods from an area farm to the cafeteria table, while at the same time receiving a healthy, delicious meal."

 

The program aims to help bridge the gap in the nutritional value and quality of food served in Georgia schools and provide more farm-to-cafeteria opportunities. The 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.

 

During a one-week period in the spring semester, all lunches served out of each selected school's cafeteria will include 75 to 100 percent Georgia-grown food. The schools will host an agriculture guest speaker, hold taste tests for Georgia commodities and conduct an essay contest. There will also be an art contest at each school focused on a single Georgia commodity, in addition to several other education activities throughout the designated week.