“Raising the Bar” at Sargent Schools
Colorado Potato growers are once again participating in the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools Challenge. Sargent Schools is the most recent school to receive a salad bar donation in the valley. Colorado Potatoes partnered with Chris Sittler of Stones Farm Supply to donate a salad bar, and that donation was matched by Potatoes USA, resulting in two bars donated to Sargent Schools.
On January 19, Sargent Schools hosted a Potato Bar Event in the Sargent Cafeteria. In attendance were Chris and Roxanne Sittler of Stones Farm Supply, David Tonso and Sheldon Rockey, who are board members of both Colorado Potatoes and Potatoes USA, and Jim Ehrlich, Linda Weyers and Savannah Schlaufman of Colorado Potatoes. The group was able to witness a donated salad bar in use. Sargent Schools prepared a baked potato bar especially for the event. Parents of students who attend Sargent Schools were also invited to the event.
Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools
Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools is an initiative created with the goal of providing healthy eating opportunities for students in schools. Potatoes USA was inspired by this effort to create the Salad Bar Challenge, calling on the entire potato industry to get involved in the campaign. Potatoes USA also committed to matching each donation from the potato industry one-for one. The potato industry has now donated more salad bars to the program than any other sector of the produce industry.
Helping Children Develop Healthy Habits
Colorado Potatoes, and the Colorado potato growers they represent, has been an avid supporter of the Salad Bar Challenge since its inception. Last year, with the help of industry partners, Colorado Potatoes donated 13 salad bars through the program. All 13 of the bars that were donated were then matched by Potatoes USA for a total of 26 new salad bars! Colorado Potatoes is proud to be a part of this program, which is promoting nutrition and helping students develop healthy eating habits early on. They are looking to exceed the amount of salad bar donations they give in 2017. If you wish to become an industry partner, please contact Colorado Potatoes at info@coloradopotato.org or (719) 852-3322.
The goal of the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools is for every school in the United States to have a salad bar as part of their school food service program. Salad bars in schools ensure that every student has daily access to fresh fruits and vegetables, including potatoes. School foodservice directors are very appreciative to have salad bars and report that increasing the use of salad bars was the most effective strategy for getting students to eat more produce. If you would like to learn more about the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative, please visit saladbars2schools.org.
