Inman and O. P. Earle Elementary Schools in Spartanburg District One are two of 52 schools in South Carolina to participate in the South Carolina “Farm-to-School” pilot program, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As grantees, these schools have pledged to feature at least two South Carolina-grown produce items as part of the school food service offerings every month.
Inman Elementary and O.P. Earle Elementary will receive either a raised bed, container or in-ground garden, complete with supplies, to be used as an educational tool that will be maintained by students, teachers and members of the community.
Together with regional coordinators from the S.C. Department of Education, S.C. Department of Agriculture and Clemson University, nutrition and agricultural standards-based lessons will be developed and provided to teachers for use in their classrooms.
Field trips to S.C. farms, taste-testings and other opportunities will be made available for students to learn about the role of agriculture in producing food for the community.
Officials from Inman and O.P. Earle Elementary schools said they take pride in offering their students access to nutritious S.C.-grown fruits and vegetables while, at the same time, helping support the local economy by purchasing produce from S.C. farmers.
– article submitted
by Paula Brooks