Cynthia Barnett | 1/1/2009

A Lesson in Nutrition

Leon County students tend to their school garden.

The local-food movement that helped spark a renaissance of community farmers markets in Florida over the past few years is slowly making its way into the state’s school districts. In Jackson County, public school students get fresh-grown collards all year, and teen agricultural entrepreneurs are being trained to supply produce to area districts as soon as they graduate. Leon County is not only purchasing fruits and vegetables locally, but also starting school gardens and in-class nutrition education throughout the district. The so-called “farm-to-school” programs make sense, says Florida A&M University extension marketing specialist Vonda Richardson, because they make school lunches healthier, help educate kids about nutrition and support small and medium-sized Florida farms. Alachua and Flagler counties have new efforts to buy local produce, Richardson says, and Escambia, Franklin and Duval counties are all in negotiations for local-food contracts.

Tags: North Central, Agriculture