The artwork of 13 elementary school students will be featured in the 2022-2023 North Carolina Farm to School calendar. This is the 11th year for the calendar, which features daily agricultural facts and highlights the N.C. Farm to School program and agriculture’s role in food production.
“It’s important for kids to learn that their food starts on a farm, and in creating artwork for the calendar and using the calendar during the year, they gain a better understanding that all food begins with farmers,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “When our students are able to enjoy the fruits and vegetables that are on the school lunch menu through our Farm to School program, everything they have learned about farming comes full circle.”
The N.C. Farm to School program is a cooperative effort of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Food Distribution and Marketing divisions. These divisions secure orders from school nutrition directors, and source and deliver locally grown fruits and vegetables for school lunch programs. To date this school year, the Farm to School program was delivered around $1.1 million of produce to 79 school systems across the state.
Winning entrants are:
- Daniel Garcia Flores, a third-grader at Magnolia Elementary in Robeson County, Teacher Valerie Thomas;
- Samuel Burleson, a fourth-grader at Beverly Hills Elementary in Cabarrus County, Teacher Madison Price;
- Turner Lewis, a fourth-grader at Vanceboro Farm Life Elementary in Craven County, Teacher Rachel Roccuzzo;
- Evelyn Cheshire, a fifth-grader at Dilworth Elementary School in Mecklenburg County, Teacher Jamie Speice;
- Jack Swift, a first-grader at Cove Creek Elementary in Watauga County, Teacher Donna Martin;
- Billy Creed, a fifth-grader at Copeland Elementary in Surry County, Teacher Hank Whitaker;
- Andrew Dawkins, a second-grader at Hopewell Elementary in Randolph County, Teacher Cori Cagle;
- Audrey Bailey, a kindergartner at Chicod Elementary in Pitt County, Teacher Kathy Bello;
- Jospeh Savarese, a third-grader at Jessie Mae Monroe Elementary in Brunswick County, Teacher Theresa Reiter;
- Alexa Perez, a kindergartner at Hurley Elementary in Rowan County, Teacher Michelle Allen;
- Jaelynn Sutherland, a second-grader at Meadow Lane Elementary in Wayne County, Teacher Terri Thompson;
- Charlotte Hunt, a fifth-grader at New Hope Elementary in Wilson County, Teacher Jeanine Kittinger;
- Surya Asam, a fifth-grader at Morrisville Elementary in Wake County, Teacher Lisa Woodside.
The calendar contest was open to public school students in kindergarten through fifth grade. There were 4,246 entries submitted from 56 counties. Winners and their teachers received gift cards from the N.C. Farm to School Cooperative. Prizes were awarded at a winner’s reception May 20 at the Got to Be NC Festival in Raleigh.
School systems will receive a minimum number of calendars before the start of the school year. Additional copies will be available through NCDA&CS on a first-come, first-served basis. A printer-friendly version can also be found at www.ncfarmtoschool.com.
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