CCSD receives Golden Radish Farm to School Award

Submitted by Clarke County Schools

Clarke County School District recently received the 2014 Golden Radish Award (Gold Level) for its farm to school efforts. The District was given this designation for the second year in a row for meeting at least 7 of the 10 award criteria, including:

• Frequency of locally-grown produce on school menus
• Number of farm to school promotions
• Professional development trainings

“I commend our entire School Nutrition staff, led by Director Paula Farmer, for being committed to the wellness of our students and staff,” said Superintendent Philip D. Lanoue. “CCSD School Nutrition has been at the forefront of adopting more local, organic and sustainable items and I appreciate their commitment to health and wellness.”

The review committee, comprised of representatives from the Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Department of Agriculture, Georgia Department of Health and Georgia Organics had the following comments regarding the District’s application:

• I think Clarke County has done an amazing job creating interest in their edible garden through the lunchtime “Garden Bar” where they serve items grown in the school garden.
• I am impressed at how many taste tests the district held, the great ways local food was promoted on the menu, and that every school in Clarke County has an edible garden.
• The district has done a beautiful job incorporating farm to school language and content into its Wellness Policy.
• I look forward to seeing how this wonderful program grows even more in the future, especially through incorporating farm to school into the curriculum and leading hands-on cooking activities.

The district is supported by a variety of community organizations that resulted in this achievement, including: Athens Land Trust, Holland Produce, Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful, UGArden, University of Georgia Horticulture and West Broad Market Garden.

The Clarke County School District was named the state’s Title I Distinguished District for closing the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students. The district is a state-level model technology school district, 2014 NAMM Best Communities in Music Education and has a nationally innovative Professional Development School District partnership with the University of Georgia. Graduates are offered upwards of $3 million in scholarships annually, not including the HOPE.