White County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Laurie Burkett (L) presents 2020 Vision School Nutrition sign to Abby Rowland, School Nutrition Director

(Cleveland)- The White County School Nutrition Program is always striving to provide the best quality meals for school students.  For the just-completed 2020 school year, Abby Rowland, White County School Nutrition Director and staff have been recognized for their efforts by being named a 2020 Vision for School Nutrition District.

Since 2015 school districts have been encouraged to increase the presence of more nutritious, local foods, and Rowland and her staff have worked to meet that request. 

Roland says it’s a team effort, “  we’ve worked hard training our staff to use more fresh produce and working with our local produce companies to be that liaison with the farmers, they pick the produce up and get it to us so we know it is certified by the USDA it’s clean and it has been purchased by  all the correct rules and regulations,” said Rowland 

The Georgia Grown Program doesn’t stop when school stops Rowland says they will utilize the Summer Feeding Program to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables. 

“ We were able to get some of our camps back this summer, the summer school kids, we have programs at all 6 schools we will be feeding those programs and running our usual routes in different areas of the county as well. So we are planning that first-day plan for about 800 meals,” Rowland said.    

The Summer Feeding Program begins Monday, June 7th. 

Summer Feeding program schedule, click to enlarge.