The US Organic Trade Association (OTA) is helping schools access and offer students more organic food this spring via a national contest to award a winning school with an organically grown garden or an organic vending machine.
The “Organic. It’s Worth it in Schools.” initiative is an extension of OTA’s first-ever national consumer education and awareness campaign, which launched in March 2009 to highlight the benefits of organic food, farming and home products.
The campaign calls on teachers, parents, students, educators and others to vote for their favourite school to win an organic garden complete with seeds, soil and expert gardening support; or a fully stocked vending machine, featuring organic milk, fruit, cheese, yogurt and snacks, among other organic items.
Through 1 May individuals visit www.OrganicItsWorthIt.org and enter their school name and address while at the same time “voting” by signing up for an electronic newsletter featuring organic tips, recipes, news and more. The winning school selects the garden or vending machine for installation in the 2010/11 school year.
“Organic food is the only food certified by the USDA to have no artificial colours, flavours, preservatives, irradiation and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and, organically grown gardens use no harmful pesticides and synthetic fertilisers on the soil,” said Christine Bushway, executive director of OTA, which represents more than 1,400 organic food and product companies.
“We know schools in large cities and small towns work hard to promote healthy food and environmental stewardship. With ‘Organic. It’s Worth it in Schools.,’ we want to provide them with one more tool to help them along.”
The site also features tools and information for schools, parents and students to advocate for more organic food in schools, as well as information about the health, economic and social benefits of organic food and gardening.
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