As part of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s continuing efforts to improve nutritional opportunities for school children, New Jersey Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Joseph Atchison III recently announced that a record-high 222 New Jersey schools are participating in the 2023-2024 school year’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP).

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has allocated $5,930,389 to New Jersey for this school year’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, to provide fresh produce to over 105,000 students in 57 districts throughout 16 counties during the school day. The students also receive nutrition education.

Eighty percent of the 222 schools have agreed to link their FFVP to the Jersey Fresh Farm to School Program. The FFVP program has grown from 33 schools in 2008 to a high of 222 schools for the 2023-2024 school year.

The goal of the program is to introduce children to healthy foods, increase their fruit and vegetable consumption, and encourage improved lifelong dietary habits.

“The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program encourages students to taste new offerings and to develop healthy eating habits that benefit them for a lifetime.” Atchison said. “FFVP creates enthusiasm in schools and benefits farmers around the state as New Jersey produce is often featured for their FFVP snack.”

Additional funds have been allocated to schools for connecting their FFVP with the Farm to School Program. The schools must provide Jersey Fresh produce a minimum of 12 days per school year and must verify where the produce was grown.

Go to bit.ly/3Q3ulNe to see which schools are participating in the FFVP for the 2023-2024 school year.