Bread Riot Distributes Local Produce to Rowan County Students
PRESS RELEASE
SALISBURY, NC, Dec. 13, 2022 — The holidays are a time to enjoy good food and gatherings, and local food advocacy organization The Bread Riot is helping some Rowan County students and their families add local produce to the menu.
As part of its new School Harvest Bags program, the Salisbury-based nonprofit group is distributing fresh produce from area farmers to families from Koontz Elementary School and North Rowan Middle School. Bread Riot began delivery of 10 biweekly produce bags to each of the schools in mid-November, with plans to give a total of 200 bags by the end of March.
In Rowan County, nearly 22 percent of children faced food insecurity in 2020, according to estimates from hunger-relief organization Feeding America. With rising prices at the grocery, fresh produce is often not in the budget for area families.
“Our hope is that having this large amount of fresh produce every two weeks will have a significant impact on the health of the families,” said Bread Riot President Dottie Hoy.
To fill the bags, Bread Riot is purchasing seasonal vegetables and other food items directly from small local farmers and producers. A recent delivery included collard greens from Downing Farms in Salisbury, carrots from Farmer’s Daughter Organics in Mount Ulla and lettuce from Main Street Marketplace in China Grove, among other produce. Bread Riot volunteers pick up the items from the farms and then sort and pack them into reusable grocery bags before delivering to the schools. Recipe suggestions are included in the bags.
“Having fresh produce every two weeks allows families to have nutritious choices that they probably would not have otherwise,” said Sybil Austin-McDowell, school social worker at Koontz Elementary. “By the time they run out, they are getting more, so they can continue to make healthy choices.”
Lyn Wilson, student support specialist at North Rowan Middle School, hands out the bags to students and parents there. “I think it is definitely going to help with their grocery needs,” she said. “You can make some big pots of soup with all that produce!”
Nutrient-dense meals might even lead to academic success. “Students who eat healthy are healthier overall, so they are not missing school as much. Additionally, they are better prepared to learn, compared to students who do not have healthy choices,” Austin-McDowell said.
Farmers will benefit from the program as well, especially in winter when local outlets for selling their produce are often closed. Brittany Chester of Farmer’s Daughter Organics said, “Knowing that we have a market for our products is definitely encouraging. And we absolutely love where it’s going. It’s a great education opportunity and also very beneficial for the kids for health.”
The School Harvest Bags program is being funded by a grant from the North Carolina Synod of the ELCA as well as proceeds from Bread Riot’s annual Riot at New Sarum event. It promotes the group’s mission to link farms to tables by supporting small farmers and providing access to locally produced foods throughout the community.
Learn more about the program, as well as volunteer opportunities, on the group’s Facebook page or at BreadRiot.org.
