Marietta Schools Awarded Fresh Fruit, Vegetable Grants

Five Marietta City schools received one-year grants from the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP).  

The grants are valued at over $166,000.

Grant allocations are based on student enrollment at qualifying schools, Cindy Culver, Marietta City Schools Director of School Nutrition, said. 

Recipients include:

• Dunleith Elementary will receive $33,005, 
• Hickory Hills Elementary will receive $24, 441, 
• Lockheed Elementary will receive $41,670, 
• Park Street Elementary will receive 29,650, and 
• Sawyer Road Elementary will receive $37,463.

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program grants are part of the USDA Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill). 

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program grants allow school systems to provide low income students with fresh domestic fruits and vegetables each day other than at a meal (breakfast or lunch), and teaches children there are alternate snack choices to high fat, sugar or salt snacks.

“The FFVP grants provide our schools an opportunity to increase fresh fruit and vegetable consumption served during school lunch,” Culver said. “Each student also receives an extra snack that helps them to stay focused during the school day and ready to learn.”