Conway Public Schools

Project Description

The Food Service Program for Conway Public Schools strives to make sure students are fed and nourished in order to learn. In addition to making sure the students are fed, Food Service Coordinator Maegan Brown wants to make sure students know where their food comes from and how it nourishes their bodies. Thus, a few years ago Conway implemented a Farm to School Program at the district with a goal to increase student education and exposure to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Through the Farm to School Program, Coordinator Brown has seen students thrive in garden lessons and become excited to see the fruits of their labor when produce is ready to harvest. However, Conway was still looking for an additional component to help expose students to more fresh fruits and vegetables. The answer came through the Project Produce Grant. Two Conway elementary schools received grant funds to implement four taste tests during the fall semester. Food Service Coordinator Brown recalls:

As a result of the taste test success, Conway added the tomato basil salad to their weekly salad rotation schedule and a fresh fruit cup with kiwi. Both the tomato basil salad and kiwi were student favorites. According to Food Service Coordinator Brown, at both schools, students have been talking about the salad ever since the taste test occurred.

Successes

• Ability to utilize school garden produce
• Student acceptability of the recipes presented for each taste test
• Adding new menu options as a result of Project Produce taste tests

Challenges

• Local produce availability due to weather
• Extra labor needed to prepare and facilitate taste tests