The Baldwin County School District announced today that its School Nutrition Department has been selected as the recipient of the coveted Golden Radish Award, Platinum Level.
The previous three years, the Baldwin County School District School Nutrition Department received the Golden Radish award; however, this is the second year the district has been able to earn the Platinum distinction.
The BCSD School Nutrition Department also received two other awards during the ceremony. The first is the Baby Golden Radish Award in recognition for work done at the Pre-K and Montessori school levels including opportunities for students to participate in cooking lessons, field trips to farms, taste tests and school gardens. The second is the Innovative Partnership Award presented by the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health, recognizing the district’s collaboration with local colleges, parents, civic organizations and businesses to implement farm-to-school initiatives.
“Our school nutrition department has been working tirelessly to provide our students nutritious meals each day for breakfast and lunch,” said Superintendent Dr. Noris Price. “Their job also goes far beyond providing quality meals. They have also been serving in an incredible educational capacity by teaching our students about the many different ways they can stay active and lead a healthy lifestyle, and collaborating with community partners on our farm-to-school activities.”
The Golden Radish Award is given to Local Educational Agencies (LEA) in Georgia who are doing extraordinary work in farm to school. The Award is presented by the Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Department of Agriculture, Georgia Department of Public Health, the UGA Cooperative Extension, and Georgia Organics. Winning LEAs are recognized by the leaders of these five groups every October.
Some of the criteria in which districts were judged were things like taste testings with students, the garden curriculum included in the standards, including Georgia Grown items as part of our regular menu and the level of community and parental stakeholders taking an active role in student nutrition activities.
LEAs are recognized at five levels. Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Radishes are awarded to recognize LEAs with varying levels of farm to school programs. Honorary Radishes are awarded to programs that are just getting started and satisfy at least one criterion within the Bronze level or higher. LEAs that satisfy the Gold level for all ten criteria are awarded a Platinum Radish. An additional award, the Outstanding Award, is given to the district/LEA with the outstanding farm to school program.