Fulton Schools Recognized For Farm To Table Programs

ATLANTA, GA -- The state departments of Agriculture, Education and Public Health, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension and Georgia Organics came together Monday at the historic Georgia Railroad Freight Depot to celebrate dozens of Georgia school districts that boast outstanding farm to school programs.

Seventy-five school districts, serving more than one million students in Georgia, are now participating in farm to school, and they were recognized with Golden Radish Awards during the ceremony. These districts served more than 97 million school meals with local food items during the 2016-17 school year.

Fulton County Schools was recognized at the Platinum level for their accomplishments during the 2016-17 school year, including:

• Serving 4.1 million meals that included local food.
• Promoting local food in the cafeterias by displaying information about the farmers and fun facts to highlight local items during announcements. Cafeteria managers also visit classrooms to show students the local foods, including where they are from and how they are prepared for meal service.
• Integrating farm to school into standards-based curriculum with lessons on plant life cycles, organic farming, experiential agriculture in school gardens, edible plant part identification, and more!

The Golden Radish Award publicly recognizes school districts for all aspects of farm to school, from local food procurement to hosting taste tests and gardening with students. This year, the Golden Radish partners awarded 26 new school districts and welcomed a new partner-UGA Extension.

Districts of all sizes are utilizing farm to school programs to teach academic standards in school gardens, support the local economy through local food purchases for school meals, and fight childhood obesity and other preventable food-related diseases.

“Access to fresh, locally grown food is not just important for students’ physical health – it’s part of their academic development as well,” said State Superintendent Richard Woods. “When children eat fresh, healthy meals, they have the fuel they need for a successful day of learning.”

Georgia Organics founded the state’s first farm to school program in 2007. Since then, communities across the state have embraced the benefits of bringing students and fresh, local food closer together.

“It’s astounding that over 40 percent of our school districts are actively involved in The Golden Radish Awards after only four years of establishing the program,” said Georgia Organics Executive Director Alice Rolls. “This is an exciting trajectory given the great impact farm to school has had on child nutrition, farmer prosperity, rural development, local economies and public health.”

The 2016-17 school year was a record breaking year of farm to school growth in Georgia. The Golden Radish school districts collectively served over 97 million meals that featured locally grown and raised foods; conducted 8,204 taste tests; taught 7,263 standards based lessons; tended 885 school gardens; engaged students in 3,794 hands on cooking activities; and involved parents and community members in 1,339 farm to school activities.

Image via Georgia Organics