Students Ask for and Receive More Fresh Produce at Orange County Public Schools
ORLANDO, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Orange County Public Schools (OCPS), the tenth largest school district
in the country, unveiled its new district-wide Fresh to Schools
initiative to increase the menu selection of fresh produce for students.
Newly appointed Director of the Division of Food, Nutrition Wellness
for the Florida Department of Agriculture Consumer Services, Robin
Safley, with State Senator Gary Siplin, OCPS Deputy Superintendent Dr.
Barbara Jenkins and Florida farmers Pero Family Farms and R.C. Hatton,
attended the event to see first-hand the new initiative at OCPS Oak
Ridge High School.
“It would greatly help school districts if the USDA would
consider raising its reimbursement of monies per student to match our
costs”
“It is very encouraging when students really do want to eat their fruits
and vegetables, as do the students of Oak Ridge High School. In Florida,
we are fortunate to have an abundance of fresh produce from Florida
farmers to meet the demand of school districts, such as Orange County
Public Schools,” said Robin Safley, director of the Department of
Agriculture Consumer Services Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness.
The initiative was inspired by OCPS Oak Ridge High School student
school-based organization Youth 4 Change. The students met with
the district’s Food and Nutrition Services staff and school officials to
address their desire to have more fresh produce menu selections.
The Fresh to Schools initiative is also an extension of First
Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign’s HealthierUS School
Challenge. The challenge is to offer more healthy, fresh and great
tasting school meals and encourage students to exercise. All these
efforts focus on reducing the growing trend of childhood obesity.
Article source: PRNewswire
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