Boosting nutritional choices, Killeen ISD School Nutrition is going a little further this month to promote fruit and vegetables grown close to home.
October is National Farm to School Month and marks the Texas Farm Fresh Challenge across the Lone Star State.
Beginning Thursday at Haynes Elementary School and continuing weekly at other KISD elementary schools, the district’s school nutrition staff is putting healthy food on stage for all to see.
Nutrition staff members assembled an impressive display of fresh fruit and vegetables including apples grown in west Texas and lettuce grown in Belton, among lots of other state-grown fare.
KISD School Nutrition was among a handful of nutrition departments statewide to earn “Cream of the Crop” status during the Farm Fresh Challenge a year ago. They fully intend to make the list again.
“Today’s farmer’s market is catering to (the Texas Department of Agriculture) effort to showcase locally grown fruits and vegetables,” said Chef Dominique Hoey Jackson, who was serving students at Haynes.
“To be exposed to fresh fruits and vegetables is very important to kids for their health and their brain development. It warms my heart to see kids be excited as they eat fresh fruit.”
Photo gallery: See photos here
Information about the farm fresh effort is available here: https://www.killeenisd.org/o/kisd/page/farm-fresh-initiative