Farm to School Week and the Golden Radish

The Golden Radish Award is a way to recognize school systems who engage in farm to school activities.  University of Georgia Extension is proud to be a partner in this very worthwhile program.  Across the state UGA Extension agents work in Farm to School efforts.  This includes Agriculture and Natural Resources Agents (ANR), Family and Consumer Science Agents (FACS) and 4-H Agents.

Farm to School Successes in Georgia

From the project website, almost one-third of Georgia school districts were recognized for their farm to school work during the 2015-2016 school year. Awardees collectively:

• Served 39 million school meals that included local food
• Held 8,246 taste tests of fresh, local food to students
• Taught 3,406 garden, food and nutrition lessons to students
• Tended 575 edible school gardens
• Hosted 1,935 hands-on cooking activities with students
• Incorporated farm to school into 390 staff professional development opportunities
• Championed and sustained district-wide policies or procedures into 29 schools districts

How Can You Earn the Golden Radish?

If you work in a school garden you could be on the way to earning the Golden Radish award.   Having an edible school garden and conducting student taste tests are two of the ways to start qualifying for the award.  Other possible criteria include hosting a farmer to your school, integrating farm to school activities into school curriculum and having students work with local chefs to create delicious meals.  If a teacher from the school attends any of UGA’s school garden teacher trainings, that also counts towards the award.

Applications are Now Open

Applications are now open for the 2017 Golden Radish Award.  Applications are due by June 30, 2017 and the online application is easy to use and with save and return capability! Application details, award criteria, and examples of programs and activities that meet the criteria requirements are available at the website.

Let Extension know if we can help!

Happy Farm to School Week!

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Becky Griffin

Community and School Garden Coordinator at UGA Extension

Becky Griffin helps school and community gardeners succeed! This includes organizing school garden teacher training with county agents, assisting schools with STE(A)M goals, and creating resources on starting and sustaining successful gardens.

Becky is a Georgia Certified Beekeeper and works with community and school gardeners to increase beneficial insect habitat.She is the coordinator of the Great Georgia Pollinator Census, happening this year on August 19th and 20th, 2022.She is also part of UGA's Native Plants and Beneficial Insect Working Group.

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