At the State Capitol Wednesday, the Bleckley School System received the Golden Radish Award, a state-wide farm to school distinction which acknowledges the outstanding leadership of school representatives building comprehensive farm to school programs.
Recognition came for its efforts to educate students on nutrition and agriculture by State School Superintendent Richard Woods, Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black, Public Health Commissioner Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, and Georgia Organics Board Chair Mandy Mahoney.
Bleckley was recognized for their achievements during the previous school year which include:
* Local food was served 160 times throughout the 2014-15 school year.
* Every month, students participated in taste tests of recipes featuring locally grown products, including cabbage salad, sweet potatoes, saut¨¦ed collard greens, and applesauce.
* Every day, Bleckley High School prepared homemade whole grain yeast rolls with locally grown and milled whole grain flour, and each grain product made at all five of the district¡¯s schools is made from a minimum of 52% of this local flour.
School districts across Georgia are using farm to school programs to teach core curriculum, support their local economies, fight obesity and other preventable, food-related diseases, and increase the amount of local food they serve to their students.
The 2015 Golden Radish Award recognizes school districts for all aspects of farm to school during the 2014-2015 school year: from local food procurement to hosting taste tests to gardening with students, and is awarded at Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorary Levels to districts with varying levels of farm to school programs.
Richard Woods, Georgia’s School Superintendent states, “Eating fresh, locally sourced food at school is great for our students. When kids are healthy and energized, they’re ready to tackle their academic tasks. Farm to School also provides an opportunity for students to learn more about the role and impact of agriculture –
Georgia’s largest industry – in our state.”
Bleckley was one of 39 schools to be recognized at the Gold Level.
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2013 by BleckleyProgess.com
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