Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District is a recipient of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Grant in the amount of $46,650 administered by the California Department of Education. The program, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, is intended to provide all children in participating schools with a variety of free, fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the school day at times other than breakfast or lunch. The goals of the program are to increase children's fruit and vegetable consumption, expand the variety of fruits and vegetables they experience, nutrition education and to make a difference in their diets to improve their present and future health.

Will Rogers Learning Academy and Edison Language Academy will be the District's participating schools. Both of these Title 1 schools demonstrate the diversity in the school district.

The District's long standing partnership with the Santa Monica Farmers' Market will overflow into this program as much of the fruits and vegetables will be purchased directly from local farmers at the market. The existing Farm to School Model in Santa Monica-Malibu schools meets an additional objective of the USDA program.

SMMUSD historically has been committed to offering students fresh fruits and vegetables as a means to influence the healthy behaviors of their students and staff. The Farmers' Market Salad Bar has been a farm to school model for hundreds of schools through out the country. The 2007/08 school year marked the 10th Anniversary of this unique school food service program.