A new fundraiser put on in some Nova Scotia schools is connecting children and their families with healthy sustainable foods, provided by local farmers.
Instead of selling chocolate bars or other sweet treats, students taking part in the Nourish Your Roots fundraiser are selling boxes full of fresh, seasonal produce.
“We sold almost 160 boxes and our school has 130 students,” says Brendon MacGillivary, principal at Oldfield Consolidated Elementary in Enfield, N.S.
The fresh food fundraiser is a growing idea, with the six pilot sites raising $8,000 and another $16,000 is going to the farmers behind the boxes.
“I think, just by the sounds and the faces of the children when we were just dropping boxes off, they were just so excited about their farm boxes,” says farmer Patricia Bishop.
The Nourish Your Roots program is also a lesson in nutrition.
“Unfortunately, today, most kids think food comes from a grocery store,” says Margo Riebe-Butt, executive director of Nourish Nova Scotia. “We really need to take a step back, listen to grandma's lessons, and learn where food comes from.”
“I think the times are changing and lots of people are getting interested in healthy eating and understanding where our food comes from,” says school nutritionist Jill White.
Mom Kristin Grzesik bought two boxes and sold 20 after posting it online.
“I had to actually hand it off to another mother because I was worried I was selling too many,” says Grzesik.
This may be the first year for the project, but it’s likely not the last. Nourish Nova Scotia wants to expand it to include more farms and schools.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Kelly Linehan
