ALLIANCE, Ohio — Marlington Local Schools and the Farm to School program have partnered to help bring fresh produce for students at Marlboro Elementary.
The district will be utilizing $3,500 in grant funding from the Ohio Department of Education to install a salad bar in the school, which will be stocked with fresh, local produce.
Program
Marlington Schools has enrolled in the “Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools” initiative to help fund salad bars in the other school buildings.
For more information on this initiative or to make a donation to this cause, go to www.saladbars2schools.org and search “Marlington Local Schools”, or contact Jan Williams at 330-821-4017.
The Farm to School program at Marlboro Elementary kicked off April 2, when the school unveiled the new salad bar.
Process
The district is currently in the process of contacting local farmers to obtain bids for their produce to be served at the school, and the intent is to begin bringing in local produce during the summer migrant program. Local produce will then continue to be brought in through September and October, depending on the growing season.
Each year, the USDA awards up to $5 million in grants to help schools connect with local producers to teach kids where their food comes from, while helping to fund purchasing equipment, planting school gardens and a variety of other means.
For more information, visit www.marlingtonlocal.org.
