TRENTON, N.J. — The New Jersey Department of Agriculture will celebrate the 15th annual Jersey Fresh Farm to School Week and the third Ag Literacy Week later this month with a series of visits and award presentations.
Officials said the Farmer Recognition Award will be presented to Norz Hill Farm in Somerset County on Monday, Sept. 22. The NJ Farm to School Academy Pilot scholarship will be awarded to the Camden City School District in Camden County on Wednesday, Sept. 24. On Friday, Sept. 26, the Best in New Jersey Farm to School Award will go to the Cranbury School District in Middlesex County.
Secretary Edward Wengryn, NJDA Division of Food and Nutrition Director Rose Chamberlain, Farm to School Coordinator Nicole Broadwater and state and local officials will attend Monday’s ceremony at Norz Hill Farm, which will feature a farm tour from a student’s perspective.
On Wednesday, Broadwater, Office of the Food Security Advocate Program Manager Jemmell’z Washington-Rock, Policy Manager Dr. Dan Dychtwald, and other state and local officials will present the scholarship in Camden. The visit will also include a stop at the Community Farmers Market, which will be celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month as well as local farmers.
Wengryn, Chamberlain, officials from Sustainable Jersey, and other state and local officials will participate Friday at The Cranbury School, where students will take part in activities at several stations. The Best in New Jersey Farm to School Award will be presented during lunch service.
Jersey Fresh Farm to School Week “celebrates the partnerships being built between the state farmers and schools encouraging local procurement to enhance school meals,” the department said.
The Farm to School Program has led more than 600 schools to purchase locally. Officials said more than 700 districts that buy local have implemented cafeteria programs using Harvest of the Month promotional materials, and nearly 350 districts use curricula tying school meals to healthy eating education or farm field trips.
Jersey Fresh Farm to School Week was established by law in 2010 to connect schools and local farmers, boosting the availability of fresh produce for students. Agricultural Literacy Week was created to highlight the role of New Jersey agriculture, the ingredients it provides for meals, and the health benefits of eating locally grown fruits and vegetables for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
For more information on the New Jersey Farm to School Program, visit www.farmtoschool.nj.gov.
