Students in Wicomico County Public Schools will be served fresh, locally grown watermelon on Tuesday as part of the Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week focus on the importance of eating locally and eating healthily.
At Northwestern Elementary Tuesday, former Northwestern student and current Mar-Del Watermelon Association Queen Jordan Calloway will chat with students about the nutritional value of fresh watermelon and the benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables. Her visit will take place during Northwestern's three lunch shifts, from 11:20 a.m.-1:20 p.m.
The Jane Lawton Farm to School Program, named in honor of the late Maryland House of Delegates member Jane Lawton of Montgomery County, was created during the 2008 Session of the Maryland General Assembly when SB 158 Farm-to-School Program - Activities and Promotional Events, sponsored by Senator Jamie Raskin of Montgomery County was signed into law by Gov. Martin O'Malley.
Sponsored by the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Maryland State Department of Education, the Farm to School program works to bring more Maryland-grown products to school lunches with the aim of educating students about where their food comes from, how it is produced, and the benefits of a healthy diet. The watermelons that will be served in Wicomico Schools on Tuesday were grown in Mardela Springs.
In Maryland, more than 70 million lunches and 24 million breakfasts are served in our public school systems annually. What if just one local item was included in the school lunch of all the 950,000 Maryland public school students? Farmers would have additional income, thereby strengthening the local economy and keeping farm land open and productive. Our children would receive the nutritional benefits of fresh, local products as well as the knowledge of why this matters. The financial, environmental, and nutritional costs of transporting food would decrease. Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week is part of a broader effort to improve students' nutrition as well as their knowledge of local agriculture.
At Northwestern Elementary Tuesday, former Northwestern student and current Mar-Del Watermelon Association Queen Jordan Calloway will chat with students about the nutritional value of fresh watermelon and the benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables. Her visit will take place during Northwestern's three lunch shifts, from 11:20 a.m.-1:20 p.m.
The Jane Lawton Farm to School Program, named in honor of the late Maryland House of Delegates member Jane Lawton of Montgomery County, was created during the 2008 Session of the Maryland General Assembly when SB 158 Farm-to-School Program - Activities and Promotional Events, sponsored by Senator Jamie Raskin of Montgomery County was signed into law by Gov. Martin O'Malley.
Sponsored by the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Maryland State Department of Education, the Farm to School program works to bring more Maryland-grown products to school lunches with the aim of educating students about where their food comes from, how it is produced, and the benefits of a healthy diet. The watermelons that will be served in Wicomico Schools on Tuesday were grown in Mardela Springs.
In Maryland, more than 70 million lunches and 24 million breakfasts are served in our public school systems annually. What if just one local item was included in the school lunch of all the 950,000 Maryland public school students? Farmers would have additional income, thereby strengthening the local economy and keeping farm land open and productive. Our children would receive the nutritional benefits of fresh, local products as well as the knowledge of why this matters. The financial, environmental, and nutritional costs of transporting food would decrease. Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week is part of a broader effort to improve students' nutrition as well as their knowledge of local agriculture.
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