South Fant, West Market Receive Fresh Fruits & Vegetables Grant

Students at South Fant and West Market Early Childhood and Education Centers will be encouraged to boost their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables thanks to a federal grant making healthier eating easier during the upcoming school year.

The schools are among 51 schools statewide taking part in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. They will be sharing a $1,172,650 grant from the USDA in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Education and South Carolina Department of Agriculture. South Fant and West Market will receive a total of $18,400 for the 2009-10 school year.

The funds will go to purchase and serve a wide variety of free fresh fruits and vegetables, providing fruit baskets inside classrooms, kiosks in hallways and other innovative approaches to give youngsters a chance to grab a healthy snack throughout the school day. The aim is to create a healthier school environment.

Schools also will make nutrition education a priority, emphasizing the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables in a healthy diet. The program engages all of the students’ senses – sound, sight, touch, smell and, most important, taste.

“There are actually two goals here,” said State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex.  “First, we want kids to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Second – and perhaps even more important in the long run – we want to give them a head start on developing healthier eating habits that can last their whole lives.”
The grant was written by West Market Teacher Hedrick Lewis. The SDE’s Office of School Food Services and Nutrition is partnering with the state Department of Agriculture to work with local farmers to purchase home-grown fruits and produce for the program.