Manitoba’s Farm2School program hopes to sign up 200 schools and sell 200,000 pounds of vegetables this year.
Lindsey Mazur, executive co-ordinator of the Farm2School Healthy Choice fundraiser and member of the Manitoba Association of Home Economists, which co-ordinates the project, says its first year was a success.
The project, which began in September 2010, expected 34 schools to participate. Sixty-six signed up and sold 120,000 pounds of vegetables.
Peak of the Market, which represents 40 Manitoba family farms, supplies the vegetables at cost for the project.
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Larry McIntosh, Peak’s president and chief executive officer, said the schools sell carrots, potatoes, onions, cabbage and parsnips in $10 and $20 bags.
The school keeps 50 percent of the revenue.
Peak of the Market delivers the vegetables to each school, where volunteers pack them in reusable bags for delivery to buyers.
Sheila Stark-Perreault, human ecology teacher at East Selkirk Middle School, said the project raised more than $800 for the school, making it one of school’s most profitable fundraisers.
“It was the smoothest, easiest to organize and provided a benefit to the school and the 127 families that participated,” she said.
Stark-Perreault said it also complemented the school’s healthy eating policy, provided school families with affordable vegetables and supported local vegetable producers.
In addition, for every sale the school made, Peak of the Market made an equal donation to the Selkirk food bank.
2010 FARM2SCHOOL
•Number of vegetables sold: 120,000 lb.
•Number of schools involved: 66 Money raised: $800
