Promoting Local Food and Healthy Eating in Local Schools
With the support of Ontario farmers, Ontario is helping students learn more about local food, agriculture and the importance of healthy eating, while also raising funds to support their schools.
Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and Mitzie Hunter, Minister of Education, met with students from Perth Avenue Junior Public School in Toronto today to help sort and bundle fresh, local fruit and vegetables to take home to their families.
This year, nearly 500 schools across Ontario have participated in this unique fundraising program where students have raised over $1 million dollars to support their schools by selling locally grown produce including carrots, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes and apples.
Promoting local food and healthy eating in schools is part of Ontario’s plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.
“Congratulations to the nearly 500 schools who participated in Fresh from the Farm this year. This program provides valuable opportunities for our students to connect with farmers while learning more about the nutritious fruits and veggies grown in Ontario. Buying local not only supports our province’s nearly 50,000 family farms but it tastes good too!”
“I am thrilled that so many schools across the province are participating in Fresh from the Farm. This wonderful program allows students to make healthy choices as well as learn about the delicious food grown in Ontario.”
