​Customer Spotlight: St. Lucie Public Schools’ Farm to School Program

St. Lucie Public Schools in Port St. Lucie, FL has a mission to ensure all students graduate from safe and caring schools equipped with the knowledge, skills and desire to succeed. In support of this mission, their public school system is in the fifth year of its successful Farm to School Program. Part of a nationwide effort, the program supports connections with students, communities, and local producers. Educational programs, including nutrition and how food is grown and where it comes from, is one valuable aspect of the grant. Farm to School supports outdoor gardens, indoor Tower Gardens, community and student culinary events, the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, cooking classes, and much more!

Another program benefit is the opportunity to enhance the local market by introducing locally produced fruits and vegetables into the schools’ purchasing network. It provides the opportunity to bring nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables directly in from local producers, ensuring fresh Florida grown produce is delivered to the schools within days of harvest. St. Lucie’s has increased the amount of Florida grown produce to over twenty items since the program started. For the 2017-2018 school year, students of St. Lucie Public Schools were offered over 219,000 pounds of Florida grown produce, over 53,000 pounds of Florida beef, and over 6,400,000 half pints of milk on school serving lines.

Bringing in the Bins

We are honored to work with St. Lucie Public Schools in support of their Farm to School Program. The partnership between St. Lucie Public Schools and Union Jack has enabled their school district to purchase quality harvesting bins. These bins allow students at Westwood High School Agriculture Program to grow fresh produce on-site at their school to then pick and provide the 42 St. Lucie Public Schools with the items. The harvesting bins allow for durability, as well as easy and safe transport throughout the district.

To find out more about the Farm to School Program, please contact Stacy Donnelly, Farm to School Specialist, at stacy.donnelly@stlucieschools.org | 772-200-7148 |http://www.stlucieschools.org.