CCSD School Nutrition Wins Golden Radish Award

WOODSTOCK, GA — The Cherokee County School District has earned the state's top honor for prepping and serving health, fresh meals to its students. For the second consecutive year, the system's School Nutrition program has earned the Golden Radish Award at the platinum level from the Georgia’s Departments of Agriculture, Public Health, Education and Georgia Organics.

“The children in our schools enjoy a breakfast and lunch menu that has greatly improved all around – it’s healthier, fresher and tastier,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said. “I regularly eat at our schools and love seeing the growing choices of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as the homestyle recipes cooked up in our kitchens using those ingredients. We’re so proud of School Nutrition Director Tina Farmer and her team for the work they do every day, which has led to this important recognition.”

The platinum level is the highest honor awarded to Georgia school nutrition programs for farm-to-school programs. Districts are evaluated on their work in 10 different activity areas from serving locally grown food in cafeterias to demonstrating how to cook healthy meals to teaching students science through school gardens. CCSD was one of only 10 school districts to earn Platinum last year.

CCSD's School Nutrition Program serves five million meals each year in schools across the district. Farmer will accept the award at a ceremony in October in Atlanta. She and coordinators Linda Dittrich and Tiffany Ridley will be recognized by the Cherokee County School Board and Dr. Hightower at the school board's Oct. 18 meeting.

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