March 13, 2006	Volume 5, Number 8

Wisconsin schools join Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

Students will crunch on carrots or cauliflower, or whip up a fruit smoothie while learning the importance of eating fresh produce in 25 schools throughout the state, thanks to a federal grant that brings Wisconsin into the successful U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

Wisconsin is one of six states receiving grants to join the program this year. Schools will use their grants to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, much of it locally grown, and serve them to all students. Typically, schools serve the fruits and vegetables to children in their classrooms and balance the snack with a classroom activity like silent reading or nutrition education.

“This grant allows us to offer more fresh produce to all students as a supplement to the school breakfast and school lunch programs,” said State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster. “Many schools will offer the fresh fruits and vegetables at times during the day when children would otherwise be hungry, or might need an energy boost to improve their attention in the classroom. We know that hungry children can’t learn, so this program supports our efforts to boost achievement for all students and close the achievement gap.”

The Wisconsin grant partners include the Departments of Public Instruction (DPI) and Health and Family Services (DHFS), the University of Wisconsin campuses in Eau Claire, Madison, and Stout, the UW Cooperative Extension, and the Wisconsin Home Grown Lunch Program. The DPI is responsible for overall implementation and administration of the program. DHFS has primary oversight for evaluation, with support from the university partners. DHFS and the UW Cooperative Extension will identify, select, and distribute nutrition education resources, which will include providing “5 A Day” promotional materials to participating schools. The Wisconsin Home Grown Lunch Program also will be involved in program evaluation, and will coordinate between participating schools and Wisconsin fruit and vegetable growers for procurement of locally grown produce.

Piloted in 2002 in an effort to combat childhood obesity by helping children learn more healthful eating habits, the $6 million expansion of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program allows Wisconsin, Connecticut, Idaho, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah to offer fresh produce to all students in 25 schools in each state. The program now reaches 14 states and three Indian Tribal Organizations. Wisconsin’s $1 million grant started at the end of January and will run through June 30, 2007.

Funding is targeted to schools with a higher incidence of students from economically disadvantaged families, so the fresh produce provided to students at school might be their only opportunity of the day for fresh fruits and vegetables. Participating schools must offer the fresh fruits and vegetables free of charge to all students, and the fresh produce cannot be used to replace fruit or vegetable servings in the national school breakfast or lunch programs. The program has the potential to reach approximately 13,500 students.

A list of Wisconsin schools participating in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program and the amount of their grant allocations is available following the complete news release.

Last updated on 3/13/2006