Farm to School Initiative

New this fall in the Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) elementary and middle school cafeterias - Farm Fresh Fridays - which will provide children, for free, a taste of fresh, healthy produce grown right here in Southeast Michigan.

Students will find these items available either on the food line or handed out by volunteers in the cafeterias. Signs will be posted every Friday describing the farm where the Farm Fresh Friday food was harvested.

AAPS is also are pleased to introduce the new fruit and vegetable bars in the elementary schools that are available to all students whether they purchase a meal or not. The middle schools are also serving more fresh produce in the cafeterias.

Farm Fresh Fridays are a project of the Ann Arbor Farm to School Collaboration whose members are:

• Ann Arbor Public Schools
• Chartwells Dining ServicesProject Healthy Schools
• Ann Arbor Farmers Market
• The Agrarian AdventureFood
• System Economic Partnership
• Washtenaw County Health Department

The Farm to School Collaboration embraces local and regionally grown produce as not only a healthy choice for students but as a way to educate students on the availability of fresh foods in their area as well as supporting local and regional farms in their efforts to be sustaining contributors to our local economy.

The Ann Arbor Public School District serves the City of Ann Arbor and parts of eight surrounding townships covering 125 square miles. The district has 20 elementary schools, one K-8 open school, five middle schools, two comprehensive high schools, three alternative high schools, one pre-school and one adult education program. As of September 2006 enrollment totaled 16,680 (excluding adult education and a portion of pre-school). The district employs 3,000 full and part-time staff members. Approximately 76 percent of the teaching staff holds a master's degree or above. 100 percent of district teachers are highly qualified according to No Child Left Behind regulations. The district serves a diverse ethnic and socioeconomic population of students with over 36 different countries represented by students in the district. The Ann Arbor Public Schools has opened a new preschool and family center and looks forward to opening a new comprehensive high school with with four magnet programs of study in September 2008. Every school in the district will have facility renovations and updates to be completed over the next two years.