Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance is administering the Growing My Plate initiative to connect schools and the community to local farmers to expand the Farm-to-School opportunities in Arkansas.
Growing My Plate is additional garden-based material to Cooking Matters for Kids and Teens. It's a six lesson nutrition education and culinary skills curriculum.
Top products for the farm to school sales in Arkansas are:
- Apples
- Watermelon
- Berries
- Sweet Potatoes
- Lettuce
Farm to school practices are different in each community. Of the 238 school districts in Arkansas, 47 school districts are using farm to school practices.That's an impact on 195 schools, and 95,605 students.
Through the support of the Kohl's Cares Foundation, Arkansas Children's, and several community partners, the Growing My Plate program has grown significantly and are now offering $750 stipends to support its movement across the state.
Instructors receive guides and participant workbooks free of charge. The stipend can then be utilized to purchase kitchen equipment, gardening supplies, and recipe ingredients for class use and for the kids to take home.
For more information visit archildrens.org/growingmyplate or Alex Handfinger at 501-399-9999.
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