Bayer commits $20,000 to boost students' access fruits, vegatables

Bayer committed $20,000 to the United Fresh Start Foundation to help provide children with easier access to fresh fruits and vegetables during a September assembly of fourth and fifth grade students from Sunnyslope Elementary School in Washington state.
The students tasted three varieties of Stemilt apples and were surprised by a new salad bar in the school’s cafeteria.
“The new salad bar will allow us to replace our old equipment, and provide students with an attractive display of fresh fruits and veggies every day,” Sunnyslope Elementary School Principal David Perkins said. “Our district’s food service team does a fantastic job sourcing local produce and offering different veggie choices. The salad bar will definitely highlight that.”
The investment by Bayer will go to fund more salad bars to implement school breakfast and lunch programs in elementary and secondary schools in the Pacific Northwest and California.
“Over 5 billion school lunches were served last year, and we are thrilled to support the United Fresh Start Foundation and their Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative,” Jennifer Maloney, Bayer's food chain and sustainability manger, said. “With more than 30 million American children participating in the National School Lunch Program each day, providing salad bars to schools will expose kids to a variety of fruits and vegetables, and help continue the conversation about the importance of eating more fresh fruits and vegetables for better health.”
Bayer and United Fresh Produce Association have a joint goal of getting students across the country to be interested in fresh fruits and vegetables as healthier breakfast and lunch options by engaging them in events like the assembly at Sunnyslope Elementary.
“We’re pleased to have more companies supporting salad bars for schools and partnering with growers to host fun events that introduce children to new produce items," Tony Freytag, United Fresh Produce Association chairman and senior vice president of sales and marketing for Cashmere, Washington-based Crunch Pak, said. “When students are engaged in the process of selecting choices from the salad bar or voting for their favorite apple, it’s another opportunity to get them excited about choosing fresh produce with their next snack or meal.”
Other school districts receiving salad bars include the Galt Joint Unified School District in Galt, California, and the El Monte City School District in El Monte, California.