|
For immediate release
Oct. 15, 2019
Eleven School Districts Receive Farm-to-School Awards
Eleven school districts received the first-ever Farm to School of NC Awards from the Farm to School Coalition of North Carolina for their achievements in expanding and enhancing farm-to-school initiatives in the state. The awards were presented during the recent Farm to School of North Carolina 2019 Summit in Raleigh.
School districts received awards based on 11 criteria such as purchasing local food, use of local food in school meals and student taste tests, collaboration with local farmers and food partners, support of healthy local food environments, classroom curriculum, hands-on cooking, hands-on gardening, community engagement, and other areas.
State Superintendent Mark Johnson congratulated the award-winning districts during the summit.
“We are honored to be a part of recognizing local education agencies with the Farm to School of NC Awards that have gone above and beyond in promoting farm to school, working with local farmers, preparing and serving healthy meals featuring local ingredients, integrating agriculture, food and nutrition education into schools, and inspiring students with future career opportunities,” Johnson said.
“Farm-to-school initiatives provide educational opportunities for students related to agriculture, health and nutrition and connect schools, farms, and communities to improve student health and academic performance.”
Asheville City Schools and Durham Public Schools won awards in the Outstanding and Gold categories
Awards were earned in the following categories:
Outstanding - Awarded based on a demonstrated commitment to engage diverse stakeholders, a comprehensive and holistic approach, creative use of resources, innovative activities, and an ability to share lessons learned and serve as a vocal champion of farm to school
- Asheville City Schools
- Durham Public Schools
Gold - Meeting at least seven of the awards criteria at the gold level or above
- Asheville City Schools
- Durham Public Schools
Silver - Meeting at least seven of the awards criteria at the silver level or above
- Halifax County Schools
- Kannapolis City Schools
Bronze - Meeting at least seven of the awards criteria at the bronze level or above
- Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools
- Edgecombe County Public Schools
- Lenoir County Public Schools
Honorary - Meeting at least two of the awards criteria
- Beaufort County Schools
- Cumberland County Schools
- Orange County Schools
- Sampson County Schools
Halifax County Schools won in the Silver category
During the summit, over 200 farm-to-school leaders from across the state came together for workshops, field trips and educational sessions to share knowledge and innovative strategies to increase student access to local foods, expand food literacy and strengthen the farm-to-school network of change-makers across the state. The summit and awards were made possible through a grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.
The Farm to School Coalition of North Carolina brings together a dedicated group of farm-to-school stakeholders in collaboration to expand and strengthen farm-to-school initiatives across the state. The Coalition is led by partner agencies and organizations including the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, N.C. Cooperative Extension, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP), Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, FoodCorps North Carolina and the School Nutrition Association of North Carolina.
More information on the Coalition, the summit and the awards may be found on the Farm to School Coalition of North Carolina website.
###
|
