C.J. Hicks Elementary School Nutrition Manager Jacki Hayslip and Rockdale County Public Schools Executive Director of School Nutrition Peggy Lawrence in the C.J. Hicks Elementary serving line decorated with a Georgia Grown themed centerpiece. The school will serve 100 percent Georgia Grown items May 15-19 as the school launches the Georgia Grown “Feed My School” initiative.
C.J. Hicks Elementary celebrates farm-to-cafeteria fresh food May 15-19 as the school launches the Georgia Grown “Feed My School” initiative. During this week, all menu items served for breakfast or lunch are foods grown in the state and students learn to connect food to its source through a variety of educational activities.
Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, who will visit the school on May 18, said, “Events such as this one are at the very core of what our ‘Feed My School’ program is all about. We are proud to be involved in this event and to see first-hand the excitement and interaction that is possible when you connect students to locally grown foods. We look forward to working with C.J. Hicks Elementary this year and beyond to continue the promotion of local and healthy eating in their school.”
Peggy Lawrence, Rockdale County Public Schools Executive Director of School Nutrition, said, “We are very excited about this initiative. Kids really don’t know where their food comes from. This initiative from the Georgia Department of Agriculture helps kids connect food to its source and get excited about where their food comes from while supporting the rich agricultural offerings in our state.”
Lawrence continued, “It’s been illuminating to see what food is available in our local area. For example, we recently received strawberries from Mitcham Farm in Oxford, Ga. that will be served at our schools. All the wheat flour we use is Georgia Grown in Cochran, Ga. and milled on the farm for Rockdale County. That’s pretty neat, when you think about it.”
Rockdale County Public Schools Executive Director of School Nutrition Peggy Lawrence and C.J. Hicks Elementary School Nutrition Manager Jacki Hayslip in the C.J. Hicks Elementary cafetorium, where the school will celebrate farm-to-school fresh food May 15-19 as the school launches the Georgia Grown “Feed My School” initiative.
C.J. Hicks Elementary Principal Tiwon Toney said, “We are proud to bring the ‘Feed My School’ initiative to our school and support farm-to-table pathways. The cafeteria staff and faculty have been working very hard to prepare for this week and provide 100 percent Georgia Grown items on the menu. Not only does it promote healthy food choices, students connect valuable lessons in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields, agriculture, business, economics, geography, history, arts, language arts – all from learning about what they eat.”
Some of events for “Feed My School” at C.J. Hicks Elementary include:
May 8 – Mobile dairy classroom
May 12 – Kick-off celebration and ribbon cutting
May 15-18 – Dress or wear the color of your favorite fruit, vegetable, farm animal, dairy product
May 18 – Visit by Ga. Department of Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black
May 19 – Winners of art contest announced
Georgia Grown’s “Feed My School” program by the Georgia Department of Agriculture first launched in 2011 with a goal to help bridge the gap in nutritional value and quality of food served in Georgia schools, while providing more farm to cafeteria opportunities. Schools provide 75-100 percent Georgia Grown items for breakfast and lunch during the week, as well as other educational activities.
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