Farm to School grant from the United States Department of Agriculture

The Department of Nutrition & Family Sciences at the 51青楼 is聽proud to support Healthy Flavors Arkansas LLC in the implementation of a $99,996聽Farm to School grant from the United States Department of Agriculture.聽Healthy Flavors Arkansas is developing a scale focused farm to school program serving聽multiple public school districts in the Central Arkansas region. The goal is to minimize聽multiple challenges faced on the farm and in schools by initially growing and selling a聽single crop, purple hull peas, that can be harvested, packaged, stored, and used in聽districts throughout the school year at affordable price points.聽Proceeds from sales of the peas will be invested back in curriculum development and聽implementation in districts that choose to partner, targeting resource sustainability of the聽program over time.聽Supporting institutions include the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, the University of
Central Arkansas, and the Arch Ford Educational Services Cooperative. The聽Department of Nutrition & Family Sciences will hire Graduate Research Assistants to聽develop curriculum targeting 3rd, 7th, and 10th grades and recipes aligned with National聽School Lunch guidelines. The Graduate Research Assistants will then collaborate with聽the school鈥檚 foodservice directors to implement the curriculum and recipes.聽Farm to School is a United States Department of Agriculture initiative promoting a聽stronger local food economy, built by connecting agricultural producers in a community聽with classrooms and school cafeterias.
According to The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Arkansas has developed a high聽rate of childhood obesity and ranks #5 in the nation. Obesity rates rise into adulthood,聽where the population is ranked at #3. The Healthy Flavors Arkansas initiative aims to聽educate our population about nutrition and healthy eating as a means of combating聽obesity and restoring health through proactive, natural, and personal based initiatives.