Brooks County Schools

Leaders within the agriculture, education and public health sectors joined together in December of 2015 to discuss a plan to increase the presence of more nutritious, local foods within the school cafeterias in Georgia. The “2020 Vision for School Nutrition” was announced during a meeting led by Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods and Dr. Kathy Peavey, Assistant Director of School Nutrition Program for the Georgia Department of Education. The vision cast by the team for the 2020 project is to have at least 20 percent of every meal in every Georgia public school to be made of Georgia products by the start of the 2020 school year. It is no surprise that studies suggest a strong link between eating healthy and better academic achievement. Furthermore, funding programs with an emphasis on eating locally grown foods helps spark local economic growth and adds value to the community. These are just two of the many reasons why expanding upon Georgia’s farm to school efforts is in the best interest of Georgians.  “The School Nutrition Program for Brooks County Schools has excelled in meeting the 2020 Vision for School Nutrition. The months and years of collaborative efforts between you and of our state agencies have positively impacted our communities and students and those successes are worth sharing with your entire school community” stated Dr. Linnette Dodson, Georgia Department of Education School Nutrition Program State Director.  Since March of 2020, Georgia School Nutrition Programs have served over 187 million school meals to Georgia students. The Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Department of Agriculture know that School Nutrition is a valuable partner in education. The School Nutrition Program provides three main areas of support: quality meals, student and community engagement, and professional development. Farm to School helps integrate these three main areas into school meals that aid in providing coordinated support across the state for higher student achievement. In the 2019-2020 school year alone, over $59 million dollars were spent on Georgia Grown foods served in school meals across our state. Pictured with Brooks County Schools Nutrition Director Chynna Wilson Silvernale is Brooks County Schools President Larry Cunningham.